Breaking Point
by redhaze03
Summary: Ichigo is losing control to the hollow within, threatening to overtake his mind and hurt all those he holds dear. Can he regain the upper hand before his sanity shatters? Or will he fall to the corruption of his soul? Ichi/Ishi, Hichi/Ichi, Hichi/Ishi.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Breaking Point  
Rating: NC-17  
Genre(s): Yaoi, angst, non-con  
Pairing(s): Hollow!Ichigo x Ichigo, Ichigo x Ishida  
Spoilers: Slight spoilers for those who haven't gotten past the Soul Society Arc.

A/N: People have been wondering where I've gone off to! Sorry to leave you all for such a long period of time, but I haven't found much time for writing since I've moved back to texas. That's not to say I haven't been writing at all! Here is a fic that's being co-written between myself and KittyChou from y!gallery! This has actually been up on y!g for a while, but I figured that I should post it here, too! Especially to hopefully ease the worries of those who have been wondering about my absence. Let me just say this: Kitty is a much better writer than me! You can tell by the different style for our collaborations! And there will be more than just one!

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Ichigo rested his head in one hand as he stared blankly up toward the front of the classroom where Ochi-sensei was giving a lesson on...math? His brown eyes flicked toward the board briefly before fixing on his teacher again. Yep, math. Holding back a sigh, Ichigo laid down his arm on the desk and leaned back in his chair, tapping his foot lightly on the floor. For the past few days it seemed like he had too much energy to be contained and with the lack of hollows, school was doing nothing to help that. Brow furrowed with discontent, his gaze drifting around the room restlessly.

Beside him, Rukia was writing down notes with studious intent, but after a moment of watching her Ichigo realized that while her hand was moving over the paper, her eyes were actually focused on a horror manga hidden partially under her textbook. Rolling his eyes a little, he idly made a mental note to tease her about it later. They needed little excuses like that to start bickering these days.

Mizuiro was sitting in front of the Shinigami, watching Ochi-sensei with rapt attention. Probably undressing her with his eyes like the pervert he was, Ichigo thought and snorted softly. It sometimes surprised him that his small and adorable looking friend could have the tastes he had, or that older women were actually into Mizuiro's boyish looks. Studying his small friend, Ichigo's eyes ran over the nape of his neck lightly, bare above the collar of Mizuiro's shirt. Pale, smooth skin... For a moment he imagined running a long tongue along the stretch of warm, clean flesh that would have a soapy tang of maleness and something indefinably Mizuiro. His exploration wetting the boy's collar lightly, he would press his lips to the naked skin above and then bite down as he-

Breaking off that line of thought abruptly, Ichigo sat up sharply, realizing he'd been rocking his hips a little in his seat. What the hell? Had he seriously just been having some kind of...of sex fantasy about Kojima? Eyes casting furtively around him, he prayed that no one had seen him. His semi-erect length quickly softened with the guilty shock and Ichigo was very glad to hear the bell ring, signaling the end of classes.

Clearly he was in desperate need of fresh air, and with that thought in mind Ichigo gathered up his things. Getting up from his chair he couldn't help but sweep his eyes around the room again to make sure nothing strange might have happened to any of his friends during the class period. It was a habit that Ichigo had picked up after losing Rukia and he figured there was no harm in his caution. Chad, Keigo... Mizuiro... they were all fine. Inoue was talking animatedly to Tatsuki as they exited the classroom, though for the life of him Ichigo couldn't tell what they were talking about. Sometimes Inoue's line of thought scared him. Standing beside her desk, Rukia had just finished putting her things away.

"I won't be long, Ichigo. I'll see you later."

Rukia raised a hand in parting as she passed him by. She had told him earlier that she needed to see that sandal-hat guy after school today. Re-stocking her supplies, no doubt.

"Aa, go."  
He waved her off. She still treated him as if he needed her help every step of the way. Ichigo didn't even need her to get out of his body during a hollow attack anymore. Rukia acted as though he were a child. Ichigo's frown deepened a notch or two, the difference unnoticeable by most, and he stuffed his books into his bag. Or tried to, but something soft and springy bounced the books right back at him. What the?

Ah, damn.

Yuzu had asked him if he could do something about a ripped teddy bear. Ichigo told her he'd take care of it, but he was really just going to give it to Ishida to fix. He'd have to catch him before he left, but a quick look around the room showed that the Quincy was already gone. Damn it! Ah, wait! Today they had that club, handicrafts or whatever it was. Perfect, Ichigo could ask for his help there and even ask Inoue for the math assignment he'd missed during his…moment. Knowing Ochi-sensei there would be homework and since nothing major seemed to be happening in the Shinigami world he was determined to get his grades back up. The instructors were giving him a harder time than usual lately because of his absences and the resulting grade slip. Hopefully Ishida and Inoue would help him so he could be on his way.

Said Quincy Archer was indeed in the Handicrafts Club, and the first to arrive as usual. For the past few meetings Uryuu had been working on a special project, a multilayered Victorian style dress in russet brown and gold for an exquisite little porcelain doll. The dress was his biggest project to date and he felt inwardly smug when the other club members would all gather round to watch his progress. He painstakingly added lace to a layer of ruffles, bunching the material very lightly to get the desired affect, but not enough to ruin the overall look of the dress.

Uryuu paused for a moment when he felt a very large and very familiar spiritual pressure approaching, but then ignored it, continuing with his work. Kurosaki was headed for them, and a part of him wondered why, but for the most part he knew that it wasn't any of his business. More than likely it was something to do with Orihime. With his Quincy abilities, he would know if it had to do with a hollow.

Coming to the classroom that housed the club, Ichigo peered inside with a frown to be sure Ishida was there before he stepped inside. It would be a huge pain in the ass if someone assumed he was visiting a club because he intended to join. Giving the now Tatsuki-less Inoue a brief nod, he made his way to Ishida's desk and looked down over his shoulder at what he was doing.

"That's...a lot of lace and ruffles, don't you think?" Ichigo asked and eyed the piece critically, putting his hand on the back of the Quincy's chair as he leaned forward. A soft, spicy scent caught his nose and Ichigo's frown deepened quizzically as he tried to figure out the source.

Uryuu's eyebrow twitched at the question, especially when coupled with the lack of personal space between himself and the Shinigami. He pushed the needle through the fabric a little harder than he meant, tearing a small hole into the lace that only furthered his indignant anger.

"Was there something you wanted, Kurosaki?" His voice was icy and clipped, but polite all the same, although Uryuu didn't bother turning from his work to look at the Soul Reaper.

Ichigo didn't seem to notice the anger, nor did he acknowledge the question as he leaned in closer, catching more of the scent. His hair...it was Ishida's hair, Ichigo realized dimly, his eyes trailing over the silky black strands. They were probably soft...like kitten fur. The thought struck him as a little odd, but he didn't pay any mind to it, his nose brushing Ishida's dark hair for a brief moment as Ichigo breathed in slowly.

The lace rustled as Uryuu's hands froze and then stiffened in surprise on the delicate fabric, dark blue eyes widening behind his glasses. Had Kurosaki just...sniffed him? The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as a shiver and a flush traveled up his spine, creeping pink up from his collar. Uryuu thought that he had felt Kurosaki nose him for an instant as well. But…but that was absurd!

"Kurosaki...?" The query was soft and confused, seeming alien on Uryuu's lips, and he mentally cursed himself for the light hitch in his voice. The Quincy stared very hard at the ruffles in his hands, almost as though he were afraid to turn around, his heart sounding very loud in his ears.

A wash of cold realization came over Ichigo and he pulled back sharply, jerking Ishida's seat slightly. He froze for a long horrible moment, eyes locked on the dark hair and tense shoulders. Had he just...no. He couldn't have... He didn't just-! Tugging open his book bag, Ichigo reached inside and caught hold of the teddy bear, almost ripping the tear wider in his haste to yank it out and toss it on the desk.

"Can you fix that?" Ichigo demanded roughly, looking anywhere but at the Quincy or his hair.

Uryuu finally managed the nerve to turn around after blinking at the bear for a few seconds, nodding numbly. "Yes..." If he concentrated on the normalcy of the request he didn't have to think on what had just happened… If it had really happened at all, since it seemed more like something out of a weird dream. "Do...you need it right now?"

"No," the Shinigami said firmly, closing his bag again. "I'll get it tomorrow. I have to go."

Turning, Ichigo all but fled the room, deliberately not thinking about Ishida, or any part of Ishida. He did not think about the softness of his hair or the scent that had started to harden him for the second time that day. Granted, it didn't take much for a teenage boy to get aroused and Ichigo was no exception. But that did not include arousal over the smell of another boy's hair! Did it…? NO! With a strangled sound, Ichigo nearly ran down the stairs in his haste to put as much distance from himself and this bizarre day as possible. Unfortunately, fate decided not to be kind today, and on top of the other indignities of his unruly mind (and body), Ichigo slamming head first into something hard and unyielding.

"Ah… damn!" He pushed off the warm, solid surface with a hand as the other rubbed the sore spot on his nose with a grimace. Who the hell put a wall in the middle of the school entrance? It was a fire hazard! But the uneven plain under his fingertips, firm under soft cotton that bulged rather pleasantly in places, made him realize that it wasn't a wall at all. Ichigo's eyes traveled up… and up until his eyes locked with the single visible soulful brown eye of Chad. Chad, who was staring back at him silently, though the concern was clear in his thoughtful gaze, seeming to hold an unspoken, 'Are you alright?'

"Geez, sorry Chad. Guess I wasn't looking where I was going."

But even as Ichigo apologized he figured that he probably hurt himself more than he had hurt the gentle giant. His nose still hurt and it was probably red, which was another cause for annoyance on this gruesome day. Why did Chad have to be such a brick wall, anyways? He was enormous and consisted more of muscle than anything else. Of this, Ichigo was sure. He must work out like crazy to keep a physique like that.

Almost looking past the silent man now, Ichigo imagined what sort of workout regimen Chad had to keep stay that fit. Maybe dumbbells or barbells, Chad did look like he could carry a great deal without straining himself. He could easily see Chad lifting massive weights, the strain and movement of thick, corded muscle under that tanned skin, sweat making it glisten enticingly. The intense look on Chad's face, the strong, masculine scent, the-

Ichigo went completely rigid when he realized that in his daze his hand had started to roam over the broad expanse of Chad's chest with single-minded fascination. Even now it smoothed down his arm, feeling the thick muscles and marveling in the feel of hair over his sun-warmed skin, so unlike his own nearly hairless arms. His hand snapped back as though he'd been burned, and Ichigo forced his arm down to his side. Fuck! He was doing it again! Why the hell was he aroused by the thought of Chad working out? What was wrong with him?

Sado hadn't said anything as his friend touched him and only frowned curiously at him now, his full lips pursed slightly in concern. Ichigo was acting strangely...and he had been for several days, now that Sado thought about it. Like at lunch this afternoon when the Shinigami had leaned forward and eaten something out of Keigo's hand before continuing his meal like nothing had happened. And just now, just for a moment, Ichigo's eyes had seemed...wrong.

It was a while before Sado carefully chose his words, looking down at Ichigo's feet. "You're still wearing your slippers."

Taken aback, Ichigo tried to figure out what slippers had to do with feeling up the giant before he looked down at his feet as well and cursed. "Well, shit. I'd better go get my shoes. The last thing I need right now is detention for dirty slippers. Thanks, Chad!" Glad for the excuse, he turned and hurried back inside. Ignore it, he thought firmly to himself. Ignore it, pretend that it's not happening and get the hell home!

After defending against a half-hearted round of attacks from his father, Ichigo shuffled into his room and shut the door firmly behind him, locking it. He was grateful that Yuzu hadn't had a chance yet to ask him about the bear...Ishida was competing for the top slot on the list of Things He Was Not Thinking About. Tossing his book bag into one corner, his brown eyes scanned irritably for Kon as he started to change out of his uniform. Having a fight with the possessed doll would be a good stress relief right about now, but to his disappointment, the lion was no where to be seen.

Dressed now in a t-shirt and jeans, Ichigo flopped back onto his bed, folding his arms behind his head and glaring up at the ceiling. What was going on with him today? Had all this restlessness he'd been feeling made him into some sort of sex maniac? But now that Ichigo stopped to think about it, strange things had been happening for a few days now... Like when he'd looked at Renji for a bit too long in the locker room shower, tracing the angular tattoos with his eyes. Or when Ichigo had wondered if Ikkaku's shaven scalp would feel different from the rest of his skin if he reached out to rub his fingers over it.

Frowning deeply, Ichigo couldn't understand what the hell was going on in his head. One too many knocks from hollows and other Shinigami, probably. But maybe it was just that he didn't feel comfortable fantasizing about the girls in his life? For a moment, he tried to imagine Rukia naked...and then laughed out loud, covering his mouth so his family wouldn't investigate. That idea was completely absurd! Rukia would beat him up if she ever suspected he'd had that thought, and Ichigo probably wouldn't stop her.

Still grinning, he thought of a nude Inoue instead, but it was too much like trying to picture one of his sisters, which made him shudder and cringe. There was Matsumoto, but she was way too forceful and would probably be one of those really dominant older women. Maybe a more reserved, if weird and quirky older woman, like Ochi-sensei... Ichigo was surprised to feel a faint throb of heat as he thought about that spectacled face framed by dark hair, flat chest, narrow hips, slanted eyes that pierced like an arrow...and that scent... Breath hitching, Ichigo realized that he was no longer thinking about Ochi-sensei and that his jeans were tented now. Pulling his pillow from behind his head, he held it over his face and gave a frustrated yell into it. What the hell was wrong with him?

Ichigo tried to imagine every girl he knew, even those he had only met once, both in the human world and Soul Society. None of them were getting the reaction that he wanted from his 'Zanpaktou'. Why? Ichigo couldn't think about it, he had to distract himself somehow. Tossing the pillow aside, he sat up, his face reflected at him from the mirror across the room. For an instant, Ichigo's reflection grinned maniacally at him before it was gone, like a trick of the eye. It was so brief that he almost missed the insane grin, but his eyes quickly shot back to it. There was nothing out of the ordinary in his reflection now. Had it been…? No… He was just... tired... and stressed from the horrible problems of today.

Ichigo had almost convinced himself until he heard the soft, eerie laughter he had almost managed to push from his memory. It almost sounded as though it came from behind the walls of Ichigo's room instead of the walls of his mind. Cursing, he got out of bed, a hand pushing angrily into his hair.

"It IS you! Damn it! I've already beaten you, so don't think I'll lose to you now!" Ichigo accused the empty room, his eyes narrowly focused on his mirror image.

The reflection shimmered and the pale figure of the hollow stood before him, wearing a white and black parody of Ichigo's t-shirt and jeans. Grinning widely, the hollow laughed again, his yellow eyes burning brightly, the only color in the starkness of his form.

"Oh no, looks like I've been caught! You haven't changed much, Ichigo…still a disappointing idiot. You're delusional if you think you'll ever really beat me. Every now and again the horse has to throw the rider, foolish King," the ghostly pale figure remarked with a grin, his dry voice hovering on the edge of laughter. "And this time, you've already lost."

As though to prove his point, Ichigo's body stiffened uncontrollably and the hollow laughed, stepping away from the bed and closer to the mirror. The Shinigami was helpless but to move forward as well, like he was the reflection of the phantom. Even as Ichigo's throat closed to have his worst fear confirmed, he felt a faint sense of relief as well. He wasn't losing his mind; this twisted hollow version of his soul was doing it to him.

"You're probably thinking, 'At least it's not me!" the hollow began as cold fear settled like ice into Ichigo's stomach, "At least I'm still good and righteous and pure and moral and BORING.' But I have news for you. I'd be just as happy sinking my teeth into little Rukia or voluptuous Orihime. To be honest, Ichigo, I'm just not that picky. "

Gritting his teeth, Ichigo's muscles strained hard as he fought for control, far from weak and refusing to go down without a fight. "I'll just get back on top of you again, you fucking horse! And I'll kick your ass for thinking about my friends like that! Let me go!"

They stood a few feet in front of the mirror now, man and ghost on either side of the glass. Laughing wickedly at the innuendo of Ichigo's retort, the hollow cocked his head and released the Shinigami's movements, but held him on the spot.

"Now you're getting your head in the game! But I'm not the only one having bad thoughts, Ichigo… It's all in there, in you. All it really takes is a small push to bring them out. Before long, I'll nudge your mind and you'll crumble to my will!"

With a manic laugh, the doppelganger vanished from Ichigo's reflection, leaving him staring at himself as deathly white arms slid around the Soul Reaper's body in a mocking caress. It felt so real that Ichigo jerked in surprise and looked down, but there was nothing. It was only in the mirror. Another mind game, he thought and put all his effort into regaining control of his feet and getting the hell away from the mirror.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ichigo roared helplessly, his hands rising to push the hollow away from him automatically, grasping at phantoms that weren't really there.

A long tongue slid across the back of his neck, mimicking Ichigo's earlier fantasy of Mizuiro in a way that hitched his breath, the Soul Reaper's earlier vision of his friend melding into what he saw in the mirror. Only Ichigo was now in Mizuiro's place.

"I'm giving you what you've wanted all day…and what I've wanted for fucking YEARS!"

"I don't want this, you sick bastard! I never wanted this!"

But even as he spoke, the too-real feeling of the hollow opening his pants with a jerk had Ichigo moaning. Both of the cool, white hands pushed inside without hesitation and wrapped around Ichigo's cock to pull him free, yet at the same time he could clearly feel that he was straining against his jeans.

A shameful flush burned Ichigo's face as his traitorous body responded by bucking into the phantom touch, brown eyes fixed on the hands working over his aching length in the mirror. Despite the painful throbbing from his real erection, Ichigo refused to pull himself out. He wasn't going to give that bastard the satisfaction!

The hollow bit down on the nape of Ichigo's neck with a triumphant grin and rolled his hips forward in a slow grind. The Shinigami's various cries and denials were taken in with gleeful laughter, but otherwise ignored as the pale apparition squeezed the erect flesh in his hand, rubbing his thumb roughly over the tip. The second hand released him and moved upward to push up his shirt; spreading over his chest the way Ichigo had touched Chad.

"I wouldn't be so loud, Ichigo…imagine if Yuzu or Karin saw you like this."

Ichigo automatically tried to pull his shirt back down, forgetting once more that nothing in his true self had changed, that the reflection was a lie. Unfortunately, that knowledge didn't keep him from feeling the cool touch that drew sounds out of him… sounds that he never wanted his hollow self to hear.

"Bastard! Stop already!" There was a slight note of panic in the hoarse whisper of Ichigo's voice, feeling a swell inside of him he couldn't let out, couldn't give the hollow the twisted pleasure of seeing.

"Stop me, Ichigo, if you can! I may be your horse…but you haven't tamed me!" the hollow said into his ear, groaning hotly before he dissolved into dark chuckles. He started to pump Ichigo roughly, feeling his hold on the Shinigami slipping, but determined to finish him off.

Panting hard for breath, Ichigo sucked back his moans, though it did nothing to stop the small, almost whimpering sounds of pleasure he made low in his throat. He was almost back in control, he could feel it there and he would overcome his hollow self if he just held on a bit longer! But then the hollow's white hand clawed over Ichigo's chest and raked over his tanned skin. With a surprised cry, the jolt of pain sent a strangely erotic thrill through him and the Soul Reaper felt his release flood his pants, breath stilling in his throat.

The hollow shuddered in ecstasy behind him as Ichigo came, laughing through the electric thrill of it. "You're so damn weak… Someday, King…someday I'll have complete control over you and your powers… And then I will rape and kill everyone you love before I destroy the world…"

With a pleased sigh, the hollow faded from view, leaving Ichigo staring at his flushed, clothed reflection, his pants stained and his eyes haunted. He couldn't move…could barely breath. The thought of what had just transpired overwhelmed him to the point that his mind had become a white noise of shock.

Ichigo wasn't sure how long he stood there, but the sticky wetness in his jeans felt cold when he heard the soft clearing of a throat. For a wild moment, Ichigo thought the hollow had returned and flinched, but then turned slowly, his hand pulling his t-shirt lower over the stain instinctively. Rukia sat perched in the window, her face carefully guarded.

"How long have you been there?" Ichigo asked numbly, his voice a dry rasp.

"Not long," she lied for both their sakes.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Kitty: This is the first co-authored work between KittyChou and RedHaze! Fear our crazy craziness, spiced with crazy! Um...yeah! I got nothing more to say about it, except to enjoy the dirty things our combined minds create! What about you, Haze?

Haze: Hollow Ichigo is just the most adorable, lovable scamp, isn't he? X3

Kitty: He sure is! He sure is... Oh yeah! For those who are wondering, this is largely going to be a non-connish Hichi/Ichi before developing into a Ichi/Ishi! Just so you don't start reading this thinking that maybe Ichigo's going to run away to the Caribbean with Sado to become happy gay fisherman as they raise their beloved buttsex baby. Not that Sado wouldn't look amazing in some cut off jeans and a wife beater...laying in the surf... Mmm...

Haze: ... Anyways! There might be chances of Ichigo ho-ing it up with a few others before getting on with the Ichi/Ishi, but we make no promises... just the promise of smut! Lots and lots of smut! Oh! Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

Ichigo felt like complete and utter shit. Last night had to have been, hands down, the worst night of his life, he decided as he slumped into his desk. Leaning forward, the Soul Reaper rested his forehead against the cool surface of the polished wood. It had been very hard not to give into the desire to skip school that day, but it was too much of a hassle. His father would make a big deal of checking him for illness, Yuzu would fuss and worry, Karin would accuse him of faking, and Rukia…

He hadn't even been able to meet the girl's eyes this morning, not since she came in yesterday afternoon and left almost as quickly to the room Rukia now shared with his sisters, seeming to sense that Ichigo would want to be alone. That or she just wanted to get away from him. The look in her eyes, so carefully guarded and yet so obvious that she'd seen him still came forward in his memory. Rukia probably thought Ichigo was some kind of depraved pervert now! He couldn't blame her for it. Especially when Ichigo had spent the night waking up in cold sweats, his heart racing from what he was sure had been an awful shock, yet he couldn't deny the aroused state of his lower body.

Without a doubt, that damnable hollow was behind it. Ichigo couldn't fully remember the dreams, but a few small glimpses remained. From those he was glad that he couldn't recall the dreams at all and part of Ichigo hoped that they had risen from his hollow-tainted imagination and were not in fact a creation of his own mind. He didn't even want to remember the fragments of his dreaming, but they came unbidden, or called by that treacherous demon to further taunt him.

Dark hair fanned out over the pillows, pale skin glistening from exertion, sensuous lips parted in a scream of ecstasy, a slim body writhing enticingly under his own, and the tight heat that felt so amazing around the most intimate part of himself. Then it all went wrong as that bone-chilling laugh stole away the warmth, leaving behind numbing cold and hungry yellow eyes that crinkled in a grin too wide to be anything but disturbing.

It was obvious Ichigo had to push it out of his mind if he were going to get through the school day. Now that the hollow knew he was onto his game, he wasn't showing any mercy. If Ichigo had thought that some of his thoughts were strange before, it was nothing compared to this. He avoided everyone, including people he didn't even know if they were the slightest bit attractive. The boys he evaded for the swell of heat that would settle in his groin and the girls… Ichigo couldn't look at them, afraid that they would sense there was something altogether wrong with him. Not to mention his heavy guilt over deliberately trying to picture many of them naked the day before. They didn't know it, but it was no less shameful.

Ichigo really didn't want to deal with this today. He damn well couldn't! What he wouldn't give for a distraction right now, a hollow attack maybe. Something like that could help him get away and relieve some pent-up anger toward his helpless inability to do anything to stop his own fucking inner demon. Anything would do just so he could get away and hole up somewhere until he had regained control of his mind and body and beaten the hollow back into submission. But the badge clipped at his side remained painfully silent, as did Rukia's cell phone. It seemed like nothing disastrous was going to come to his rescue today.

Head thumping on his desk a few times despite the strange looks he was probably getting, Ichigo silently prayed to any god that may exist in hopes that they were listening. He even tried sending a mental shout out to King Yama. Just a distraction, any distraction would do. His prayers were answered in the form of a teddy bear being shoved towards his downcast face. The Shinigami's head flew up and he jumped back in his seat in surprise, brown eyes flicking upward to meet narrowed dark blue, gleaming behind squared frames.

"Here," Uryuu said politely, but unnecessarily, setting the bear in the space Ichigo's head had just occupied. "I fixed the tear. It was just a little rip on the seam, it didn't take long."

Eyes dropping to the bear, Ichigo blinked and then grunted. "Ah, thanks. I'm sure Yuzu will be grateful," he supplied lamely, breathing through his mouth so that he wouldn't catch Ishida's scent. "Were those…bows always there?"

Taking a moment to adjust his glasses, Uryuu flicked his hair with a small flair, the effect of which was lost on Kurosaki. It was impolite not to look at someone when you were having a conversation, however idle! Especially when you had previously gone so far as to smell them in an intimate way! Uryuu's inner resentments were held in check however, and he nodded.

"I made some improvements."

"Some? There are seven bows! Seven!" Ichigo was eternally grateful to Ishida for this distraction, but it all went to ruin when he glanced up to give the Quincy an incredulous look.

Sensuous lips parted in a scream of ecstasy… The disbelieving expression quickly faded away as Ichigo looked at the curve of Ishida's mouth for longer than he ever should have. Blinking rapidly, the Shinigami snapped his eyes up higher to settle on Uryuu's confused gaze. Fuck. Could he have been any less subtle than that? Quickly, Ichigo cast about for something to cut through the tension that had built between them.

"There's…something stuck to your face!" he explained and pointed at his own mouth a little too sharply.

Still a bit unsure about what had just happened between them, Uryuu's hand flew up automatically to cover his mouth, discreetly pulling away in a rub to dislodge what might be there. Had he really gone all morning with food on his face? Someone could have said something before now! And of course it just had to be Kurosaki to finally point it out!

"Did I get it?" Uryuu asked in a low voice, somewhat embarrassed that the ever-crass Kurosaki had just blurted it out like that.

Do not watch Ishida's fingers pull away from his mouth. "Yeah, you got it." Do not watch Ishida lick his lips. "Class is about to start." Do not think about Ishida's tongue!

Ichigo wasn't actually sure if class was really about to start, but he figured it would make the Quincy go take his seat all the same, leaving him alone once more. He almost swore he could hear the hollow laughing at him even now. But finally some luck had come his way as Ochi-sensei strode into the room, already telling them to take out their grammar books. Ishida left to take his seat without another word.

For once in his life Ichigo was all too glad to be in class, studiously taking out the requested book, along with paper and a pen to take down notes. A boring distraction was a distraction nonetheless! But after a quick look at his teacher, Ichigo wanted to bang his head on his desk hard enough to hopefully knock himself out. He had forgotten that in his desperate attempt to prove that he was a normal teenager boy, Ichigo had thought of Ochi-sensei naked. She was even the only one to have actually given him a physical response.

Only…

'You weren't actually thinking of her, were you?' a gleeful, taunting voice spoke in Ichigo's mind as the fragmented images of disheveled dark hair and tight heat flooded his mind.

Closing his eyes, Ichigo willed the hollow away. No! Not here you damned hollow! He thought of every un-sexy thing he could to will the images away, but nothing made the horrible cackling fade away. He wasn't sure if it was his imagination or not, but Ichigo swore he felt the ghost of a touch caress the bulge forming in his school slacks, making him shudder. It was then that he knew that his classes were going to drag on forever.

Lunchtime didn't come quickly enough in Ichigo's opinion, but at least he managed to make it in once piece. He almost hadn't when Mizuiro's hand had brushed against his own as his friend asked him for an eraser. That small, soft hand… Thinking about it again, he remembered that it was so warm even from just the brief touch of his fingers. Ichigo could all too easily imagine Mizuiro's hand wrapped around his-

No! NO! Stop thinking perverted things about your friends, Kurosaki!

"Iiiiiiiiiiiiiii-chiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-goooooooooooooooo!" The all too familiar cry rang loudly through the hallway as he stepped out into it, but Ichigo was far too distracted by his own thoughts to react in time and ended up with a hyperactive monkey of a friend on his back. "Ne, ne, Ichigo! Let's all go out after school and enjoy our youthful, carefree springtime!"

Never mind that it was actually October. Normally by now Ichigo would have thrown him off, but… Keigo's warm, sure presence pressed flush against his back, his scent a mix of overly strong cologne and something indescribably youthful that surrounded Ichigo completely. It sent the Soul Reaper into a fuzzy stupor, making him breathe a little harder than he meant to. That firm, but yielding weight on him… No, it'd be better if Keigo were under him. His skinny body was probably wiry, but a body like that couldn't be without some muscle, especially his legs. Yeah… Keigo's warm, strong legs locked around Ichigo's waist-

"Ichigo?" Mizuiro's quiet, concerned voice broke through the fantasy. Ichigo's glazed brown eyes snapped back into focus and he nearly jumped back from the limpid gaze of his adorably boyish friend.

Keigo was completely unaware of anything but the sound of his own voice and kept on chattering happily as he hung off Ichigo's back like nothing had happened. "And every time we drink coffee we can use the special mugs with pictures of each other!"

Ichigo's whole body was rigid. He had been doing it again! Even now he was still perfectly aware of how Keigo's body felt against his own. And now he was starting to feel dizzy from the combined proximity of Mizuiro, the double assault almost more than he could bear. Jerking back with eyes that cast about as wildly as a cornered beast, Ichigo elbowed Keigo's side, sending the lanky brunette to the floor with a painful yelp.

"Ichigo is so cruel!" the brunette whined, melodramatic tears streaming down his face.

Mizuiro was at Keigo's side the next moment, checking to see if he was really hurt. "That was a bit harsh, Ichigo, even for you."

Ichigo could only swallow thickly; taking fast, shallow breaths that didn't seem to reach his lungs. Suddenly he was acutely aware of every single person in the hallway, the guys especially, feeling assaulted by their masculine scents and warm-bodied presences from all sides. He was going to snap!

"HOLLOW! HOLLOW!"

The Substitute Shingami Badge at his side chose that moment to wail and shake violently, snapping Ichigo back to his senses. Distantly, he heard Rukia's cell phone as well and up ahead he could see Ishida's eyes fixed sharply in a hunter's stare, farseeing and distant. A hollow attack! Maybe there was a god of mercy after all!

"Sorry, Keigo," Ichigo actually apologized, "but I have to go! Tell the teachers I felt sick and went home! Bye!" There was no way in Hueco Mundo he'd be going back to school after this!

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Ichigo caught Inoue before she hit a lamppost, careful not to accidentally run her through with his sword as he did. It was lucky that this hollow had some kind of multiplication effect, because they had quite a crowd there to fight it. Along with Rukia, Ishida and himself, there was Inoue, Chad, and Renji. He had a feeling that though he didn't see Ikkaku, Yumichika, Matsumoto or Hitsugaya, they were probably nearby as back up.

"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun!" Inoue said a bit breathlessly, giving him a quick smile before she ran off a short ways to use her seals more safely.

Nodding after her, Ichigo dodged a barb, slicing it in half with an annoyed flick of his zanpaktou. The hollow was somehow both feline and reptilian in the set of its four legs and swinging tail, but the masked face was still eerily human. The cat-like tail had barbs at the end instead of fur and could throw them like little knives at will. When Ichigo had first come on the scene, he had sliced the beast in half accidentally, feeling a momentary despair that he'd ended the fight so quickly. To his initial relief, each half had re-grown into duplicate hollows, but that relief had soon turned to annoyance when he found that ANY dismembered part became a new hollow.

And that unfortunately seemed to include the barb he'd just sliced in two.

Cursing a bit, Ichigo jumped back from the dual attacks of the two newly formed hollows, ducking down under the swipe of a tail as he blocked the lower swing of the second tail with Zangetsu. Leaping back a safe distance, he quickly surveyed the area, now counting about a dozen cat-lizards.

"Would you stop with the slicing method, Kurosaki?" Uryuu asked in polite agitation, drawing back his bright blue bow and releasing to take out two of the duplicates in a well-aimed shot. "If it didn't work the first time, what made you think it would work the next FIVE?"

"It's a big fucking sword, Ishida! Slicing is what it does!" Ichigo snapped, fully tempted to just release his bankai and be done with it.

A flash of red caught Ichigo's eye and he watched Renji hook one of the replicated spirits as it leaped for Chad's back, Zabimaru's barbs wrapping around the beast and pulling it away sharply. Renji's robes had been ripped sometime during the fight and Ichigo could see the flex of the muscles in his chest, the skin broken in a few places, but otherwise pale and smooth beneath the heavy black of the tattoos. The sight of the mild injuries didn't detract from the appeal of the Red Pineapple's chest, though. On the contrary, Ichigo felt a dark urge to smear the droplets of blood between them, letting them stain his own chest. He could see himself running the flat of his tongue over one of the scratches, imagining the way Renji's warm body would shudder pleasantly under his assault.

"Kurosaki! Look out! Ichigo!"

The shout broke through the fantasy, but not quickly enough for Ichigo to move away from the outstretched claws of the hollow leaping toward him. Hitting the ground hard as the weight tackled him down, Ichigo and his attacker rolled with the force of it, causing the Shinigami to drop Zangetsu in the process. Landing atop the beast, he looked down and realized it was Ishida, not one of the cat-lizards.

"Ishida!" Easing up his weight slightly, he touched the Quincy's face almost tenderly. Ignoring the startled flinch from the boy under him, Ichigo's fingers brushed over a scrape Ishida had gotten from wrestling Ichigo out of harm's way. "Are you alright?"

Uryuu coughed a bit, focusing on the ache caused by the rough move, rather than the strange way Kurosaki was touching him. "I… I'm fine, thank you…the hollow?"

Raising his eyes briefly, he watched Chad punch the duplicate hard enough that the mask shattered and the beast turned to dust. "Dead. You saved me."

Lifting his hand, Uryuu adjusted his glasses, knocked askew from the fall. "Yes, well…I couldn't shoot it in time." Actually, Uryuu admitted to himself that he probably could have, a bit chagrined by the unnecessary physical display. The Shinigami was still touching his face gently, carefully checking the different scrapes and the Quincy squirmed beneath him. "You're heavy, Kurosaki."

The movement brought Ichigo's dream back like a physical blow, remembering the writhe of the pale body beneath him, the flushed face twisted in pleasure. And those lips… He thought of pressing them firmly against his own, of devouring them. Pushing a hand into Ishida's black hair, he would tangle his fingers in the smooth strands and bite softly at his lips until they submitted and opened. The taste… that incredible taste was like nothing he'd ever known, sweet with the faint reminders of tea and hot beneath the explorations of his tongue.

It was the most intense fantasy he'd had, and it wasn't until he realized the pain in his arm was the vice tight grip of Ishida's fingers that Ichigo realized he was actually kissing the Quincy. Pulling back with a gasp, Ichigo stared down at Ishida's dazed and confused expression, wide-eyed for a long moment before he stood abruptly and turned away without a word, Ishida's soft pants echoing loudly in his ears. Picking up Zangetsu, he glanced around quickly, glad to see everyone was turned the other way as Inoue gave a happy cry and punched her fist in the air.

"I did it! I got the last one!"

Ichigo nodded to Inoue with a faint smile that he always reserved for the perky girl, the others gathering around to congratulate her. It was rare for Inoue to actually be able to help in a battle besides shielding and healing, and they all knew how she always wished to be of more help. It was a big deal, and even Ichigo realized it. But he didn't join them, his mind was in turmoil elsewhere. Even in a hollow attack he wasn't safe. They weren't safe from him! If only the others hadn't come! If only… Ichigo mentally cursed himself, knowing that he was just making excuses now.

Ishida… how was he supposed to explain the kiss? He couldn't! Ichigo couldn't even look at him. But he could still feel the memory of Ishida's lips against his own, soft and pliable when he was exploring the warm cavern of his mouth, their tongues rubbing together. No… No! Stop that right now, damn you!

"Kurosaki-kun?" Inoue's soft voice brought him back to the present.

Ichigo found himself staring into the girl's large, glistening eyes and for the first time he realized that Inoue and Ishida had a similar eye color. But Ishida's would never look at him with eyes so soft and sweet and just… just begging him to-

NO!

Ichigo shook his head to clear his thoughts, offering the girl a strained smile, wincing when it only increased the worry in Inoue's expression. "Sorry Inoue. I have to go." He patted her lightly on the head like he would to Yuzu or Karin when trying to reassure them. "You did good."

But the smile on his face died all together when he caught sight the Quincy a few feet behind the girl. Red-faced and glaring, Ishida was pointedly not looking at Ichigo, his hostility aimed at the Shinigami like so many arrows. It was too much to deal with, Ichigo had to get away here and now before Ishida pulled him aside for a confrontation. He was grateful at least that the archer was too aware of his own embarrassment to publicly humiliate them both.

"But what about school, Kurosaki-kun?" Inoue was getting more and more worried about Ichigo's strange behavior.

Ichigo managed to look sheepish at least, "I'm not going back. Could you give any homework assignments to Rukia? She can give them to me." He wouldn't fool himself into thinking Rukia would get them for him herself.

"Ah… un!" Orihime nodded, her expression giving away the eagerness she felt to find out what was wrong with Ichigo, but her manners telling her to mind her own business. If Ichigo wanted to share, he would, but right now it was obvious that he didn't.

"Oi, what's the deal, Ichigo? You can't just skip the rest of your classes!" Renji complained loudly, marching right up to Ichigo with no regard of his personal space. He was plainly anticipating a fight as he got in his face, but his dark eyes were searching Ichigo's. "I don't even need to go to your school and I'm going back! You can't just skip out!"

Ichigo suppressed a shudder to have the red-haired Shinigami so close, reminding him of the thoughts he'd had just moments ago. Knowing his reactions were suspiciously delayed, he summoned all the self-control he had to try and act normally. But before he could begin a customary response, Rukia beat him to it her hands set on her small hips.

"Shut up, Renji! If you don't want to go back to school then don't go, but stop acting like a moron!"

Taken by surprise at Rukia's defense over such a stupid matter, Renji pulled back. Looking put off, he gave the girl a questioning look, but Rukia's head shook imperceptibly. "Feh, whatever."

Ichigo was just as shocked to have Rukia come to his defense, missing the unspoken communication between her and Renji. The same carefully guarded, but knowing look that he had seen yesterday afternoon was on her face and a chunk of ice settled in Ichigo's stomach. Turning away from her, Ichigo nodded a tense thanks, then strapped his zanpaktou to his back again and left to retrieve his body.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Ichigo managed to get home without further incident, countered another of his father's attacks, and ignored the queries of why he was home early. He told the old man in a serious tone that he wanted to be left alone, hoping that would be the end of it. After opening a window and hurling Kon out of it as hard as he could, he began pacing his room, mapping the small space. The memory of the kiss was replaying itself over and over again in Ichigo's mind and had been since he'd left Ishida standing there, blushing and angry.

He had kiss-raped Ishida! He had pinned him under his body and stole a kiss! Ichigo's first kiss and it was non-consensual! But even as he thought about it like that it didn't make the lingering taste on his lips any less sweet. Ichigo groaned, fisting his hand into his hair. Even before the kiss he had treated Ishida differently. Like a guy would treat his girlfriend. Had he really used such a cheesy line as, 'You saved me'? What was he, a love struck girl? What was next? Would he be struck by the vapors and swoon?

It was lucky that no one else had seen his little lapse of control, but he wondered what Ishida would do about it. Whatever it was, Ichigo wouldn't blame him, or even try to stop him. He knew he deserved whatever the Quincy decided to do as revenge, and there was nothing Ichigo could do to make what he did okay.

Feeling defeated, Ichigo stopped his pacing and slumped face down onto the bed with a groan. He just couldn't believe that he had kissed Ishida. And that he had liked it! Despite knowing what the hollow was doing to him, Ichigo had to face the fact that he'd felt more than just arousal in that moment. It wasn't like he was remotely considering that he was in love, but kissing the Quincy had felt good on an emotional level.

Rolling onto his back, Ichigo stared up at the ceiling, lifting a hand to touch his lips lightly in remembrance. Maybe the dark part of his soul was right…his own mind might be choosing the subjects of the hollow's depraved fantasies. What if he actually wanted to kiss Ishida? Blushing darkly at the idea, Ichigo frowned and sat up to snap the curtains closed, making sure he wasn't going to be disturbed from either entrance of his room. Clearly he needed rest if he was even considering that he wanted to kiss the Quincy!

Ichigo glared at the room for a long time until, for a lack of anything better to do, he fell asleep. When Ichigo woke up, however, he was not in his room, but lying on the roof of the school where he so often ate lunch. Blinking in confusion, he slowly gathered his bearings, staring up at the sky. How had he gotten there? His head was pillowed on something that shifted and he tensed.

"It's about time you woke up, Ichigo, my legs were starting to fall asleep!" Mizuiro leaned over him with a smile, moving his thighs again.

With a gasp, Ichigo sat bolt upright, whirling around wide-eyed to stare at Mizuiro fully. "What the- How did I get here? I was in my room! And why the hell was my head in your lap?" he demanded, a fear building in his throat that he'd lost control for a few hours. Had the hollow been controlling him all this time?

With a curious smile, Mizurio tilted his head to the side as though watching Ichigo was an endless source of amusement. "Ichigo, you must have been dreaming. It must have been intense if you're this disoriented. We always come up here to eat lunch, don't we? You were tired so I let you rest your head on my lap. Don't you remember that?"

Mizuiro had moved forward onto his hands and knees, crawling over to the skittish boy to carefully take one of his hands in his own. He offered Ichigo a sugary sweet smile as he spoke, "It's what boyfriends do for one another, isn't it?"

Staring at the sight of his hand inside Mizuiro's smaller one, Ichigo felt beyond shocked at what was happening. For a moment, he'd actually felt relieved that maybe the past few days had been a crazy dream, but now he was at a total loss. Boyfriend...boyfriend? No, it was insane! He pulled his hand back sharply, giving Mizuiro a wild look.

"What the fuck are you talking about boyfriends for? If this is some kind of joke, it isn't funny, Kojima!" Ichigo warned, glaring at his friend.

Visibly flinching when Ichigo yanked his hand back, Mizuiro's large eyes glistened with hurt and the Soul Reaper felt briefly guilty. "Ichigo, what's the matter with you?" Mizuiro asked in honest confusion. The boyish teen was nothing if not persistent. This time he reached out to carefully cup Ichigo's cheek with one hand, the other pressing against his forehead, pointedly ignoring his cringe. "Are you feeling sick? Why would I joke about that?"

"Ah, you know Ichigo is just shy, Mizuiro! It's a big step, being boyfriends! Especially when you have two at once, ne?" Keigo's cheerful voice answered from behind the Shinigami, his long, slim arms circling loosely around Ichigo's neck and shoulders from behind. "Isn't that right, Ichigo?"

Ichigo stiffened bodily when Keigo slid his arms around him, head whipping around to look over his shoulder. "S-sick? Shy? Two at once?" Pulling away from them, Ichigo quickly scooted back and was startled when he suddenly bumped into a mattress that was, for some reason, lying on the roof like it had always been there. "The fuck?"

Keigo let go of him easily enough, grinning that wide goofy grin of his, "Geez, did you hit your head or something? It was your idea, right?"

Mizuiro sighed softly, "Maybe we shouldn't do this today. Ichigo is acting weird. We should take him to the nurse's office."

"Nah! I bet he's just half asleep! And he's already at the mattress! By the way, Ichigo, getting a mattress was a great idea! Who knew you were secretly a hentai!"

"I did," Mizuiro answered with a soft, yet sultry smile.

They closed in on Ichigo like predators going in for the kill, Mizuiro hanging from Ichigo's front, his arms looped around his neck as Keigo slid behind him again, his hands smoothing down his chest.

At a complete and total loss, Ichigo didn't do much to ward them off, especially when his body was reacting so easily to them. Was he having some kind of psychotic episode? Or maybe a mental breakdown? Closing his eyes, he blushed and arched into the feel of Keigo's hands sliding over his chest, touching him with an experience he wouldn't have guessed at.

"Don't... I...this isn't right..." Ichigo protested weakly, his head falling forward onto Mizuiro's shoulder.

A soft chuckle shook Mizuiro's slim shoulders. "But this was your idea Ichigo. Or are you playing the helpless victim? You usually make me do that."

The smaller boy arched a little to be in reach of Ichigo's throat, nibbling on the warm flesh there softly. Keigo nibbled on Ichigo's ear, opposite of Mizuiro, his hands fisting into the Shinigami's shirt to pull it up, exposing the well-formed chest more and more until his fingers could splay over the heated flesh. He laughed warmly at Mizuiro's comment.

"So you're going to play the helpless victim this time, Ichigo? Does that mean we get to be on top? Should I say something like, 'Don't worry, I'll treat you good?''

"Helpless...? What...?" Ichigo asked dazedly, moaning softly at the dual attack of their mouths, his head tipping back slightly. "I don't..."

He didn't feel like a helpless victim...this wasn't like what had happened in the mirror. Shivers of warmth and pleasure went through his body, sparked by the touch of hands and mouths on his skin. Though Ichigo was confused and a bit disturbed, he found that a large part of him really didn't want them to stop.

Warm breath tickled Ichigo's neck from Mizuiro's sweet laughter, "You're really good at this, Ichigo. Maybe I should take lessons from you."

Mizuiro's small hands joined Keigo's in exploring Ichigo's tanned skin and between the two friends, they had Ichigo down to nothing but his underwear in no time. At a total loss, the Soul Reaper numbly let them undress him, arching into the caress of their hands, not sure if he wanted to get closer or further from their touch. One of Kojima's hands ventured southward, cupping the warmth between Ichigo's legs to squeeze gently.

Gasping, Ichigo's hips bucked into the hot touch, a loud groan pulling from his lips. At the same time Keigo's teeth tugged on his ear, pressing closer to him until Ichigo's back was flush against his chest like it had been earlier that day. Pulling the taller teen onto his lap, Keigo let him feel his own excitement as his hands spread Ichigo's legs wider, making room for Mizuiro's attentions.

"D-don't! Ahh!" Panting, Ichigo shook his head with a blush to feel Keigo behind him, spreading his legs. The knowledgeable touch with which Mizuiro was teasing him brought the thought that the sweet looking boy was probably the most experienced between the three of them, but also that he really shouldn't be into men.

"This isn't right..." Ichigo protested, shaking his head. "What's wrong with you guys? What about the older women, Mizuiro? Or...or Matsumoto and Inoue, Keigo?"

"Nnnh," Keigo breathed out low as he rolled his hips shallowly against Ichigo's backside. "Idiot, you've always been more important to us than any girl. Don't you see anything at all, Ichigo?"

"Don't you like us, Ichigo? Your body is much more honest, don't you think?" Mizuiro's deft fingers slipped past the waistband of Ichigo's underwear, stroking him skin to skin as he pulled the Shinigami free of the tight confines. Ichigo cried out to be touched in so intimately a manner for the first time, not counting the mental molestation of the hollow. "You're so uncharacteristically cute when you blush like this, Ichigo. You should do it more often."

"You could even be uke when you blush!" Keigo grinned widely and bucked forward insistently to prove his point.

"It makes me want to take advantage of you," Mizuiro agreed with a smirk as he lowered his face until he was level with Ichigo's arousal.

"W-wait...I... Ahh!" It was embarrassing to voice his reactions, but they escaped his lips despite his best efforts. Ichigo could acutely feel the warmth of Mizuiro's breath over his achingly sensitive skin and the firm heat of Keigo's cock pressed behind him. His body simultaneously felt like it wanted to fly apart and to bury itself permanently between the two.

"Shhh," Mizuiro soothed him, his hand pumping the base of the Shingami's heavy length. He brought his lips to the reddened head and, as if testing the waters, he ran the flat of his tongue over the tip before drawing back, smirking coyly. "Do you still want me to wait?"

Ichigo's breath stilled in his throat, his brown eyes locked on Mizuiro's mouth, so close to the apex of his reluctant lust. For a long moment he sat frozen on Keigo's lap before he closed his eyes, giving into this strange reality.

"Please..."

"Ichigo..." Mizuiro breathed out his name before he took Ichigo into his mouth, full lips stretching wide to fit around his girth. His small hands slid up Ichigo's thighs, massaging gently as he sucked on the thick heat, drawing back until his lips teased only the tip before going down again.

A loud gasp pulled from Ichigo and he thrust forward into the overwhelming wet warmth of Mizuiro's mouth until Keigo held him back, marking the Shinigami's throat with hot licks and sucks. His hands smoothed down Ichigo's side, hips, then back to cup his backside, squeezing firmly. Ichigo blushed when the lanky brunette kneaded at his ass, but he hardly cared about the intimate touch when the world felt narrowed down to where his cock met Mizuiro's lips.

"Hnnnh! Mi…Mizu… Ahh!" Ichigo cried out breathlessly.

One of Keigo's hands slid lower, teasing Ichigo's cleft until his long, slim fingers just brushed the most intimate of spots, pressing very lightly against the tight ring of muscles. Ichigo bucked in response, his hands, which had been fisted on either side of him, flying up to grip at Keigo's arms.

Mizuiro was teasing the sandwiched teen and obviously so. A wicked tongue danced around the thick, heated flesh of Ichigo's arousal as Mizuiro alternated the strength of his suction to keep him hovering on edge. Ichigo fairly trembled at the way Mizuiro kept him reaching his end, closing his eyes tightly as his jaw clenched painfully from the need to find release. Drawing back, the smaller boy's tongue pressed a gentle trail along the veins, thick with blood, until just the tip remained in his mouth. Teasing the glans with the tip of his tongue, Mizuiro smiled at Ichigo's rough groan and took him in deep again, quickly wrapping a hand around the base of the Shinigami's arousal.

Large gray eyes looked up at the Shinigami, a strange gleam in them as he drew back completely, except for the hand held tight around the base of his cock. "You've always wanted this, haven't you Ichigo?"

"You've always wanted us like this, focused just on your pleasure. Isn't that right?" Keigo's gentle explorations became suddenly harsh as he spoke, shoving a finger into the resisting pucker. His usually cheerful, if vapid, tone was suddenly too cool, too knowing, an edge to his words. "No pretense of friendship, just toys for your pleasure."

Ichigo's eyes flew open with a harsh cry at their strange words, gripping Keigo's arm tightly when he shoved the digit in. The brunette's long fingers quickly found the right spot within the taller teen, rubbing and pressing there mercilessly as he shoved a second finger in. Horror slowly dawned on Ichigo, stilling any sound in his throat as he watched Keigo's arms become pale and cool, the whites of Mizuiro's eyes blackening and his dark irises becoming predatory yellow.

Even as a moan was wrenched from his unwilling throat at the bursts of pleasure within his body, Ichigo tried to pull away from the mockery of his friends. What had reluctantly waited in the corner of his mind could no longer be denied. Ichigo was trapped once more in the hollow's embrace.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Kitty: Woo! Second chapter! Yay! And more depraved than ever! I love depravity...

Haze: I just love smut! And OMG! Cliffhanger! Sorta! How will Ichigo survive the encounter? With a nice dash of non-con and angst of course! I don't know about you, but seme!Keigo broke my brain!

Kitty: I don't know, I've always suspected he had it in him...after all, if Ichigo can bottom, Keigo can top!

Haze: Maybe... but... but... it's KEIGO! Is it so wrong that I see him completely being Mizuiro's bitch? Or maybe Ikkaku's bitch... Hmmm...

Kitty: Especially when Mizuiro is wearing a leather corset and thigh highs...or Ikkaku is wearing a mask and chaps! But that's another story, kiddies! As is "The Sordid Tale of Inchigo, The Cursed"!

Haze: ... Okay now my brain really has snapped! So instead I shall concentrate on the "The Sordid Tale of Inchigo, The Cursed" the amazing story that came to Kitty because of a typo on my part. Behold how our minds world when we sync them up together!

Kitty: Wonder twin powers, activate!

Haze: Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

Like a vast sea of light and noise, the prefecture of Tokyo spread out around Ichigo for over two thousand square kilometers, home to more than twelve million people. Even now in the darkness there was enough light that most of the stars were hidden from his troubled brown eyes. Even in the quieter area that was Karakura Town, there was light and sound in the darkness. Maybe it was enough to fill the emptiness inside of him…

To fill the…hollowness that chilled his soul.

With a frown, Ichigo stood, his Shinigami robes blowing around him in the light breeze. He was going to find something to fill the void, even if he had to hunt through every square kilometer of the Tokyo metropolis in order to do it. And until then he wouldn't sleep, wouldn't go near his friends or family for fear the hollow might take him over. That the demon inside might keep the promise he'd made to Ichigo.

Ichigo vowed that what had happened tonight would never happen to those he loved.

/Several Hours Earlier/

Twin peals of eerie laughter rang out across the roof of the school as duplicate the hollows of Ichigo's soul pinned the Shingami between them. Fully taking the places of his friends in this dream world, not a hint of Keigo or Mizuiro was left now. Ichigo was actually a little grateful for that…he wouldn't have been able to handle this torment from the hands of his friends.

The duplicate hollows continued to play Ichigo's body, one stroking his arousal and kneading at his thighs while the other held the Soul Reaper's legs open wide apart with his own bone white limbs. Two fingers worked mercilessly into Ichigo's abused hole, heedless of the teen's obvious pain, but at the same time making sure that his cries were also unwanted pleasure from the continual stimulation of his prostate.

"Oh, Ichigo," the doppelganger behind him sighed in a mockery of concern. "Look what you've gotten yourself into this time. Can you still claim you don't like it?"

"He did give in rather easily, didn't he?" the other responded, his pale body draped over Ichigo's legs. Grinning wide, he scraped a black nail over the swollen cock head in his hand.

Digging his own nails into the arms of the hollow behind him, Ichigo gave a hoarse shout and bucked roughly as he tried to pull away. The hollow hissed a soft breath at the hard jab of nails, but that was all the reaction he gave to the pain, his wide, manic grin remaining fixed in place. Ichigo felt strangely weighted down between the two of them, as though by allowing himself to be so deeply ensnared by the dream, he had surrendered his strength in exchange for sick pleasure. A burning panic blazed between the Shinigami's ears and along the back of his neck, an instinctive reaction to get away from the dual forms of the hollow before something worse happened.

Before he was permanently damaged.

"Get the fuck away from me!" Ichigo shouted roughly, his eyes dilated in fear as he panted heavily from between clenched teeth.

As if the terror in his chest weren't enough, he was still fucking hard! It sickened Ichigo to think that he'd respond this way to the violation of his body. The hollow at his back savagely pushed in a third finger, spreading the digits as wide as he could within him and Ichigo let out a harsh sound that was nearly a scream at the brutal touch, actually bringing a sting of tears to his brown eyes.

"Still playing the helpless victim? You're so pathetic King. You're making this way to easy. Not that I mind!" A long tongue teased the rim of Ichigo's ear, nipping the tender flesh there, breath hot on his skin. "Your ass is a hot little piece."

"You...you son of a-" Ichigo broke off, since it would only be an insult to his own mother to continue that line of thought.

"You can deny it all you want, your body is being much more honest," the hollow before him taunted just as Mizuiro had before, squeezing his length again.

Shuddering at the reminder of his small friend, Ichigo closed his eyes tight as he gasped for breath, even his arousal painful now from the extended torture of the dream. His whole body tense, Ichigo tried to gather his will, to force himself out of this dream instead of letting his mind focus on the pleasure and pain. Ichigo had to remove himself from what was happening in his subconscious...to find another place where he could stay sane and regain control.

The hollow's shared grins seemed to widen further, if that was even possible, as though sensing Ichigo trying to separate himself from what was happening. That simply wouldn't do. At his back, the hollow suddenly pushed his hips forward, forcing Ichigo's to do the same so that he bucked into the marble white hand before him. The demon laughed that soul chilling cackle as he turned his head to press his pale lips to Ichigo's length.

"I know why you hate this so much Ichigo." The hollow twisted his fingers to press in deeper as he spoke, "It's because you and I, we're the same. And that means that anything I'm able to do is something you're just as equally capable of. Even now you're thinking that you're mighty and righteous and if you just hold out long enough you'll be able to break free. But you can't. I AM you, Ichigo! Who you really are, the part of yourself you deny in favor of weakness and stupidity! And I'm having so much fun doing what you'd never let yourself do!"

Stiffening, Ichigo's eyes flew open and he glared hard into the yellow and black depths that stared back challengingly, shouting at the corruption of his soul. "That's a damn lie! You might wear my face and you might even take control sometimes, but you and I are not the same! You're a sick, twisted thing and I will never EVER sink to your level!" Ichigo spat at the duplicated aberration, growing angry enough that he actually managed to pull a leg free, kicking at the hollow before him.

"Keep telling yourself that, King. It's only a matter of time now!" But they were taken by surprise when Ichigo managed to break free, grunting at the kick. With just a bit more force they managed to get a tight hold on the Shingami once more. Nearly growling in frustration, Ichigo tried to pull free again, emboldened by his momentary control. But as panic started to claw at him, he lost the force of will that had gotten him free in the first place.

"Oh ho! So you really do still have some fight left in you. Maybe it's time to become more serious!"

The abusive fingers suddenly abandoned Ichigo's entrance and the hollow at his back instead raising both hands to grip the struggling boy's arms, pulling him up higher. Ichigo couldn't have said when the white figure had removed his clothing, but the insistent length pushing at him now was proof enough that he had. Joining his double, the hollow before Ichigo hooked his arms under his knees, their skin contrasting sharply where it met.

"You'll love this! Be sure you stay relaxed or it'll hurt!"

Stiffening at the feel of the strangely cool cock rubbing at his entrance, Ichigo did everything but relax. "NO!" he protested, struggling. "Please no!" Closing his mouth tight, Ichigo bit down on his lip to keep from begging any more than that, unable to believe he'd let that slip.

Ichigo's struggles were largely ignored, though the dual forms of the hollow laughed with wicked gleefulness when he actually said 'please'. Shifting his hold on Ichigo's thighs, the hollow held him splayed open wide to watch as his double thrust upward into the unwilling body. Having full command of this dream world, the split demon made sure that though Ichigo felt enough pain to make a point, it wasn't nearly enough to break him entirely. After all, the humiliation he'd suffer from pleasure was far more satisfying.

"Oh yes..." one of them purred, though it was hard to keep track of which it was with all that was happening. "I knew you were a tight-ass, King. I didn't know you were so greedy, though! Your body just seems to be begging for more! It's sucking me right in!"

"Hnnh!" Ichigo could feel his eyes watering and he closed them tightly just to keep from crying as well. His body couldn't help but tighten up further against the intrusion, making his body burn darker with shame when it only seemed to bring the bastard hollow more pleasure. The pain of his humiliation ached deeper than what was happening to him physically.

Grinning broadly, the hollow before him ducked down and slid his tongue over the abused pucker with a grin, teasing where it stretched over the smooth, pale length sinking slowly deeper. Ichigo couldn't stop the hitch of his breath or the strangled moan that escaped his throat when he felt the wet warmth of a tongue there, his body quivering as he shook and bucked to break free, though it only looked like he was eagerly pressing back for more.

"F-fuck you!" he managed to gasp out. He hated that through the pain Ichigo felt pleasure, his arousal still hard and heavy between his legs, bobbing with each of the hollow's movements inside his body.

Breath washing hot over his ear, the hollow groaned out his pleasure with a grin. "No, I'm pretty sure it's the other way around..." He thrust up deeper to prove his words, pressing firmly until he was fully within the cursing teen.

Pushing his long, pointed tongue alongside the length within Ichigo, the other hollow thrust it a few times before withdrawing it to slide along the teen's perineum to his sac. Ichigo breathed in deep through his nose, afraid that if he let go of the tight hold on his lips he'd make embarrassing sounds. Despite his best efforts, he made a small sound in the back of his throat to feel that sinful tongue slide up the sensitive skin and lap at his balls.

Giving him a wide, manic smile, the corruption licked his lips before opening his mouth to suck in one orb and then the other. Ichigo gasped in surprise at the feel, arching and bucking as his intake of breath turned into a loud, audible moan when the movement of his hips shifted the penetrating length within him to brush that damnable spot again.

"You really don't seem to be putting up much of a fight, Ichigo. I know you're ridiculously weak, but it's almost like you don't want me to stop."

"Uhnn! No!" Ichigo shook his head in denial at the taunts. He didn't want this! He just wanted it over and done with! "Aah!"

Releasing the taut sac with a slick sound, the hollow slid his long tongue up the length of Ichigo's painful arousal, brushing his teeth over the oversensitive head with a purr. "Poor little Ichigo...you're not going to last long at all, are you? I'd better give you what you want, then."

From behind, the hollow began to move Ichigo roughly over his cock, sending a pain and pleasure shooting through the Shinigami's body like bolts of lightening. At the same time, the other form of the hollow slid his grinning mouth down over Ichigo's nearly purple erection, swallowing it down and sucking firmly.

Trying to hold back his cries was impossible at this point. Feeling like something had snapped inside him, Ichigo head tossed in wild denial, but the needs of his body couldn't be so easily ignored. Ichigo came with a harsh shout, arching violently as he jerked and bucked into the hollow's waiting mouth. Both forms of the hollow shuddered with pleasure in response to the orgasm, their hands tight on Ichigo, riding it with him. When it was over, the pale figure before him pulled away with a grin and let Ichigo's seed drip back onto his softening length.

"There's a good boy...I knew you had it in you..."

/Present/

When Ichigo had woken, he had immediately gone to the bathroom and vomited until there was nothing left in his stomach. For a while he just sat beside the cool porcelain of the toilet, his body trembling with shock and revulsion. Slowly, as he regained control over his reactions, Ichigo stripped down, throwing his clothes into the hamper roughly and turning on the spray of the shower as hot as it would go. Standing in the flow of burning water, he made his decision to leave.

It hadn't taken long to find Kon and force the Gikongan into his body. If Ichigo had any doubt in his mind that he was making the right choice, they were promptly erased when he looked at his body and thought about fucking Kon. Without a word of explanation to anyone, Ichigo fled from the Kurosaki household, taking to the streets and the hunt.

Now as he stood looking down on Karakura Town and the rest of the Tokyo prefecture beyond, Ichigo thought only of death. He would find his salvation through the reaping of souls.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Ishida Uryuu was livid, and in his opinion rightfully so! That fucking bastard Kurosaki had… he had… Uryuu didn't even want to think about what the Shinigami had done! But there in lay the problem. The Quincy couldn't stop thinking about what Ichigo had done to him. He had… Oh just admit it to yourself, he thought. Kurosaki Ichigo had stolen his first kiss! There! Admitted! What he wouldn't confess was how it had made him feel.

The unmitigated ass had just… just kissed him and then turned and fled. He hadn't looked at Uryuu or acted like anything had happened, and then just…left! Uryuu hadn't expected Kurosaki to be that sort of underhanded coward! After debating with himself over whether or not to scream his lungs out at the Shingami, the archer decided to save the last vestiges of his molested dignity and not confront Kurosaki in front of everyone. He certainly wasn't going to let him get away with it, but… a day… The Quincy could give the coward a day to mull it over and finally come face him like a man.

Unfortunately for Kurosaki, giving the Shingami time to gain the courage for a confrontation gave Uryuu time to stew over the memory. Replaying the touch of lips in his mind over and over again, he grew angrier and angrier. So when he saw the familiar crop of orange hair, but didn't feel the spiritual pressure that came with it, Uryuu was pissed. Especially when the body of the noticeably absent Shingami was flirting outrageously with a flock of girls.

Uryuu felt his anger boil over, marching over to whom he knew to be Kon. Grabbing him by the shoulders, he slammed the Gikongan against the lockers in an uncharacteristic display of hostile violence. "Where is he?"

Kon never questioned the motives behind the handful of times Ichigo had given him control of his body, just thanked his lucky stars for the chance. But he wasn't feeling so lucky this time. Ten minutes at school and Kon had already managed to be slapped by three different girls and now that crazy guy who had made his stuffed animal prison look completely gay was shoving him around before he could even react.

"E-eh?" Normally Kon would have kicked the attacker out of his way with his powerful legs, but the aura of pure anger surrounding the Quincy made him hesitate. Hell, it down right scared him and zapped away the will to do anything but comply. "I… I don't know! I swear!"

The answer did nothing to alleviate Uryuu's anger, but then he doubted that anything but beating Kurosaki to a pulp would do it. Maybe beating Kon would make him feel a bit better… But in the end, Kon was, as always, just a poor substitute for the real thing. For a wild moment, the Quincy considered skipping school to feel out Kurosaki's energy and see how many bolts it took to make a Shinigami pop. He managed to reason with himself though, as skipping school would make his revenge seem a bit desperate.

Releasing Kon, he glared sharply at him, his dark blue eyes piercing deeply as any arrow. "If he contacts you in any way, you will tell me. Immediately," Uryuu instructed in a clipped tone that left no room for argument.

Whirling dramatically, Uryuu was mildly satisfied to see everyone in the hallway quickly turn away. Despite the gossip that was sure to flourish, he at least made an impression. Hopefully one that would last for some time, even. It was hard to be considered cool when you were in the Handicrafts Club, for some reason. This didn't do much to lighten Uryuu's mood, but it was something, anyway.

Entering the classroom to take his seat, the Quincy grit his teeth a few minutes later when Ochi-sensei called out, "Kurosaki, Ichigo."

"Huh? Oh, right. Present!" Kon responded with a grin after Rukia kicked him.

Kurosaki wasn't present! That was the whole damn problem! Feeling as though there were a huge cloud looming over him, Uryuu ran the scenario through his head again. Pinned rather uncomfortably to the ground, Kurosaki's warm weight pressing into him… That was something he had always noticed about the Shinigami. He radiated warmth, almost like a side effect of the spiritual energy that constantly flowed from him. Uryuu had always been rather cool and prone to chill himself, so he rather envied that aura of heat.

Lifting a hand to touch the healing scrapes on his cheek, the archer shivered a little as he remembered the warmth he'd felt from the strange, tender touch. Kurosaki had been acting strange of yesterday…and the day before, too. The invasion of personal space and inappropriate smelling, the staring at Uryuu's mouth, even if there was something there, and then the way Kurosaki had spaced out and ended up lying over Uryuu and kissing the hell out of him.

Frowning, Uryuu dropped his hand again. It hadn't been that good! Sure it wasn't the worst thing he had ever experienced, but it wasn't like Ichi- Kurosaki had swept him off his feet the way they did in those romance novels Uryuu secretly read. And it wasn't as if he had, at any point, kissed the Shinigami back, or sucked at his tongue, or felt disappointed when he pulled away…and hurt when Ichigo just left…

Uryuu fisted his hands, glaring hard at the desk under his gaze. He had not been hurt when KUROSAKI left! He…he had been livid! Pissed at being taken advantage of! Not confused and injured that Kurosaki brushed it off so easily and then RAN! His anger renewed, Uryuu glowered at the chalkboard. It was going to be a long day.

But at least he was going to kill Kurosaki after school.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Several hours later and several miles west of Karakura Town, Ichigo grimaced at the sticky substance that stubbornly clung to Zangetsu. That last hollow had been more of a gooey blob than anything and he'd had to push his zanpaktou through a lot of gelatinous ooze to reach the mask inside. Still, the odd beast had made a somewhat satisfying squelch when he had finished off. This had been the seventh hollow since he left yesterday and Ichigo was starting to feel almost numbly calm. It had been almost twelve hours since he last had a stray thought creep up on him. Ichigo was starting to feel hopeful that this method really would restore him enough to get back in the saddle of his 'Horse'.

That hopeful feeling faded slightly as he realized the area had grown surprisingly quite all of a sudden. Ichigo stilled at the strange tension in the air, surreptitiously looking around. It hadn't exactly been bustling with people before, but now... it was like there were no signs of life at all. That was... until an arrow of pure light shot out at the Shingami, missing by scant millimeters.

Ichigo jumped as the arc of light shot past him "The hell?" Whipping around, he almost expected to see some other descendent of the Quincy trying to seek his revenge. A misguided second cousin or mother's brother.

But the Shingami wasn't so fortunate this time around as eyes pierced through the soul angrily, glinting behind squared spectacles. "I have to admit that it took me quite a while to find you, Kurosaki. And I'm also greatly disappointed by your show of cowardice!" Uryuu drew back another arrow of light, aiming carefully. "I won't let you get away this time!"

Wincing at the look Ishida gave him, and a little surprised that it didn't cause him physical harm, Ichigo sighed, holding up his hands. "Look, I'm sorry, okay! I promise not to do it again! Just...leave me alone." Already his eyes were roaming over Ishida and Ichigo turned them away firmly, frowning tensely. He had to get away again, damn it! Already his calm control was slipping away!

The glare became more intense, if that was at all possible. "You really think it's that easy, don't you? You stole something precious from me and a simple 'sorry' isn't going to be enough to make it better!" Uryuu started to blush a little, suddenly aware that he sounded like a scorned schoolgirl, but it was his first kiss, dammit!

"Precious? Geez, it was just a kiss!" Ichigo lied with an embarrassed flush, not looking at him.

The flippant reply did nothing to help the Quincy's temper, just the opposite in fact. "Just a kiss? You're really one of those disgusting playboys aren't you? And in case you forgot, I'm not a girl! You dirty pervert!"

"Oh yeah, I must have forgotten! It's so hard to keep in mind when you have that girly ass hairstyle!" Ishida released the arrow, intentionally aiming so that it would pass by the other's head and Ichigo felt his hair sizzle a little. Ducking reflexively, the Shinigami stalked toward the archer with a frustrated growl. "You really want to fight about it? Why can't you just let it drop and let me forget all about it?"

The Quincy had knocked another arrow at the ready by the time Ichigo reached him, his eyes as cold as ice, aiming the arrow at his chest. "Because kissing just anyone is okay for a man-slut like you, but it meant something to me! That you just took it and ran... it's unforgivable!"

Ichigo stood before the arrow bravely, but frowned at Ishida's words. "It meant something to you?"

Uryuu tensed when he realized what his words had sounded like, blushing crimson. His glare wavered, but only for a second. "Yes! The thought of a first kiss meant something to me! But a skirt-chasing pervert like you stole it!"

For a long moment Ichigo stared at him as the kiss came back to the forefront of his memory, his brown eyes roving over Ishida's face. He remembered the way he'd looked beneath him, flushed and panting softly, his lips slightly swollen from the force of the kiss. Later, when he would look back at this and berate himself for losing control, yet again, Ichigo wouldn't know the exact moment that he had dropped Zangetsu, pushed aside Ishida's bow and kissed him. But he did remember backing the other teen against the wall and pressing against him bodily.

"Nngh!" Any further berating Uryuu had in mind was muffled and then silenced by insistent lips pressed against his own again; so familiar from all the times the archer had relived their previous kiss to fuel his anger. His body trembled, and Uryuu felt trapped again, pinned by the heat of Ichigo's body... and then he felt his body melt.

Thrusting a thigh between Ishida's legs, Ichigo released a soft, frustrated sound into his mouth and forced his way into that tempting mouth. Sliding a hand over the Quincy's chest, the other slid up into the hair he had mocked just minutes ago. All Ishida could do was make a soft whimpering sound, another tremor running through his body. The idea to fight, to push away and beat Kurosaki to a pulp seemed to have disappeared from his thoughts completely. He was only able to concentrate on the warmth seeping off of Ichigo's body, that insistent mouth and tongue that moved forcefully against his own. And those hands… those battle rough hands that left his body tingling and had him arching against the Shinigami with an embarrassing sound.

Ichigo sucked at the pliant lips against his own, tracing his tongue over them before he thrust it forward between them again. Grinding his hips against Ishida, Ichigo groaned at the slow friction, panting heavily as a cold rigidity started to spread across his forehead. Abruptly, he gasped and pulled away, turning from the Quincy as his hand flew up to the place where his hollow's mask had begun to form, crushing it with a yell of anger and frustration.

Dark blue eyes were glazed behind slightly fogged glasses when Ichigo suddenly pulled back, Uryuu's once immaculate white clothes now rumpled and just a bit dirty. He panted heavily for breath, taking a few moments for his brain to jump-start again, but he caught sight of the white of the hollow mask before it was crushed, bringing him back to reality like a bucket of cold water to the face.

"K-kurosaki...?" His anger at being tricked into another kiss was kept at bay by his curiosity and his concern, but only just. "What…what was that?"

Looking back at him slightly, a predatory yellow burned in Ichigo's usually brown eyes, black bleeding out from the edges of the iris. "STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!" he yelled in a haunting, desperate tone. Turning again, he ducked long enough to grab Zangetsu before running as though hell were at his heels.

The Quincy flinched in surprise, more of his anger draining out of him. Something was very wrong with Kurosaki. That much was obvious now. It didn't mollify all of his anger and in fact on some level it only angered him more, for reasons he wasn't admitting to himself. But the shock of this strange discovery was enough to let Uryuu think clearly again. He let the Shinigami go and turned, striding away purposefully. If something was wrong with Ichigo then the others had a right to know about it.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Kitty: Poor, poor Ichigo! He is so abused! I shed a tear of sadness! ...and then I abuse him more!

Haze: I'm too sick to feel bad for Ichigo! But I do feel bad for putting the brunt of this chapter into Kitty's hands. I snuggles her from a safe, non-contagious distance! I worry I didn't make Ishida uptight enough...

Kitty: You're sick? I totally didn't know that, you should have told me! -shot- But we tackled this chapter well, I think. Though I didn't give it a final read through, so if anything is wrong, please feel free to blame Haze!

Haze: Me? I'm trusting you with this! So cruel to me and my sick self! I'm gonna sneeze on your food when you're not looking! (being sick makes me weird, please put up with it for now)

Kitty: I take no pity on the sick, unless the sick is me! Good luck reaching my food from a gazillion miles away! ...*cough* Anyway! Hope you enjoy the third chapter! Chapter Angst-o-rama!

Haze You know i'll find a way! YOU KNOW I WILL! And I'll laugh at you while you're all sick and sick like! *clears throat* Yes... enjoy the angst and non-con and the smutty smut!

Kitty: Cheers!

Haze: Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

Tracking down Rukia's spiritual energy was a simple task for Uryuu. Gigai bound or not, a Shingami's spirit ribbon was still different from a human's. The search was made even easier with the pressure of her spirit amplified by its proximity to Renji's. Their trail led the Quincy to a sloping hillside facing the river. He saw the shadows of the two Gigai, elongated by the light of the setting sun, before he actually saw them. Their voices carried up to him, making him pause just out of sight.

"All I'm trying to say is that it would make sense, don't you think?" That was Rukia's voice.

"I don't know, it sounds really farfetched to me." And that one was Renji.

"I know it does, but it's the only thing that could explain it and Urahara agrees with me. If we take in all that the two of us have seen of Ichigo's strange behavior, it makes perfect sense," Rukia insisted, trying to talk some sense into Renji. So…this was about Kurosaki.

The more Ishida thought about it, the more he questioned why it hadn't occurred to him sooner. Something was clearly wrong with Ichi- Kurosaki, and that could be dangerous for them all. No matter how much the substitute Shinigami got on his nerves, it was no excuse to simply write off the strange behavior as another way to annoy him. And come to think of it, maybe Ichi-KUROSAKI had been acting oddly prior to the awkward smelling the day before yesterday. Not that he had been paying any particular sort of attention to the behavior of the Soul Reaper. But obviously he must have been if the others had noticed the strangeness of the boy's conduct.

Renji sighed heavily as he and Rukia continued their argument. "You just want it to make sense so that there's a solution that doesn't end in his being called to trial. You're basing your whole theory on a debunked research paper that you read back at the Academy!"

"It wasn't debunked! It was shrugged off as irrelevant. Why try to get to know more about hollows when we're just supposed to kill them," Rukia scoffed at the narrow-minded beliefs of Seiretei, though she had once held the same ideas. "If this theory is correct it can completely redefine the way we classify levels of hollows."

"We already do classify hollows into levels," Renji pointed out, starting to sound a bit frustrated. But trying to convince her childhood friend doubly aggravated Rukia.

"Yes, we classify them in levels according to strength, but what if it's more than that? In Seireitei, our level of strength sorts us as well, but there are also thirteen different squads, each one with its own unique specialty. What if hollows are the same way?"

"So now you're putting hollows on the same level as Shingami? Do you even realize what you're saying?"

"Damn it, Renji! Would you stop being so narrow-minded and listen? Is the idea that hollows might be just a little more complicated than we thought so offensive?"

"Fine, let's say that theory could possibly be true. So what? It doesn't change how we kill them. Who cares if there really are different classes?"

Rukia sighed in frustration, "See this is what I mean! That kind of thinking is why the theory was dismissed as irrelevant. If it's true then don't you think this could affect Ichigo?"

"But Ichigo isn't a hollow!" Renji snapped.

"I know he isn't! But he isn't a regular Shingami, either. We have to accept that."

"So what are you saying?" The redhead's voice was rough. "That we should treat Ichigo like we do any other hollow?"

From the movement of their shadows, Ishida knew that Rukia had hit Renji for the comment. "No, you idiot! Have you been listening at all? If that research paper was right, then we can think up a way to help Ichigo! We've both agreed that he's acting oddly."

Renji's shadow cringed and rubbed the lump from Rukia's abuse. "Yeah, he's acting oddly, but what does that even have to do with… with hollows? People change sometimes, Rukia. And teenagers go through phases."

Rukia shook her head, refusing to admit that it was that simple. "You didn't see him like I did, Renji… I don't think- No, I know it's not just a simple change. Whatever is wrong with Ichigo… he's trying to fight it. He gets this haunted look in his eyes and now he's avoiding everyone. Leaving Kon to take his place is proof that he plans on being gone for a while. Whatever this is, I think he's afraid that it can hurt us. What do you think, Ishida?"

Uryuu tensed at having been spotted and sighed softly when Renji's lack of surprise spoke volumes about his stealth. Of course they would have sensed him. Just because Kurosaki was an idiot at detecting his reiatsu didn't mean that fully trained Shingami would be so easily fooled.

He stepped forward, "I think Kuchiki-san has a point. Kurosaki has been acting abnormally as of late. It's not just new, unusual behavior. In fact, it seems like a lapse of control altogether. After the episodes I've seen, he snaps back to himself and then becomes tense and even fearful. I was coming to find you because of my concerns, Kuchiki-san. I just saw Kurosaki not long ago and witnessed another of these slip ups in control. After it happened, I saw distinctly hollow-like features emerge on his face."

The Shinigami stiffened at this and Rukia looked at him sharply, her eyes moving over him in a way that had Uryuu worried she knew exactly what had happened. "You're sure? There's no doubt about what you saw?"

"None," Uryuu assured her, hoping that he looked as cool and collected as he made himself sound, especially when under the scrutiny of Rukia's too knowing gaze. "I saw the beginnings of a mask on his face, which he forcibly removed, and that his eyes had become golden with black seeping into the whites. He asserted that I should stay away from him and then ran off, presumably to find more hollows. It looked as though he'd been hunting them for the greater part of the day."

Renji swore at this, shaking his head. "That idiot! If he really is losing control, then fighting is the last thing he should be doing. He's out there draining his strength…and sooner or later a hollow is going to get in a lucky blow that will knock him out. I think I should alert Captain Kuchiki."

"No!" Rukia said swiftly, giving Renji a look. "The last thing we need is to get more people involved, and especially anyone who will turn him over to Commander Yamamoto. I know Ichigo, he's not that stupid! If he just lost that much control, then he's going to start rethinking his plan. Give me twenty-four hours…I'll find him and speak to him, alone at first before I bring him in. It's time we gave him an intervention."

"An intervention?" Uryuu asked in surprise, eyebrow rising as he wondered just what sort of research Rukia had been doing about the human world lately. "Yes…I suppose it would be helpful for Kurosaki to know that his comrades are not going to abandon him in his time of need. I would suggest involving Sado-san as well, as he is one of Kurosaki's closest friends. It might be prudent to keep other individuals out of the loop, however…"

Rukia nodded with a slight smile. "I have no intention of telling Orihime-chan about this, I think it would just embarrass Ichigo for her to know. Matsumoto can be indelicate, as can Yumichaka, but Hitsugaya has a cool head. I don't know if Ikkaku can be sensitive enough, so I might just leave it to the five of us."

"You're not including Urahara?" Renji raised an eyebrow.

"No…he's not really the group therapy type. I'm sure once we explain the theory to Ichigo he'll want to see Urahara on his own."

"What is the theory?" Uryuu wondered suddenly, his curiosity overcoming his manners.

Both Shinigami looked at him for a long moment, then at each other. Surprisingly, they both seemed to blush slightly. Rukia cleared her throat, clasping her hands before her.

"What do you know about demon mythology?"

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

IDIOT!

Ichigo slammed into a wall, shaking his head briefly to shake off the daze before pushing off again with a battle cry. He was fighting all out, almost as though he were brawling with the hollow, working out his aggression and anger. Of course, it was only a distraction, since that anger was directed inward.

STUPID IDIOT!

A large tentacle thumped him on the head and Ichigo tasted blood as he bit his lip, snarling as he sliced the appendage off. Leaping forward over the spray of blood or ooze, he couldn't tell which, the angry Shinigami brought Zangetsu down on the mask and the fight was over. But his rage was far from subsided as he stood there panting, looking down at the disintegrating form of the hollow.

TWICE! He'd molested Ishida not once, but TWICE! The first time he might have even been able to laugh it off as being caught up in the heat of the moment and the gratitude of being saved. It would have been mortifying, but at least they'd put it past them. But now Ichigo had done it twice and even rubbed up against the Quincy like a cat in heat! There was no excuse for that.

As if the two forced kisses hadn't been enough, Ichigo had nearly been taken over. He wasn't entirely sure whether or not Ishida had seen the mask before he had pulled away. What must he be thinking now? That Ichigo was dangerous and losing it? If he were smart, he was telling Rukia to round up the Shinigami captains for a trial. He was seriously starting to consider that his death might be a suitable solution to this whole problem.

No longer bothering to clean Zangetsu between fights, Ichigo strode away from the hollow and began hunting again. He was exhausted, but he didn't let that stop him. He wasn't killing nearly as many as he could be, but at least there were plenty of pluses he could send on between battles. For a moment Ichigo wished wildly that he had some of Ishida's hollow bait…then cursed himself for thinking of the Quincy again. Fuck, he could still taste him on his lips, despite the blood. And his body had felt so damn good against his own!

Ichigo shook his head roughly in disgust and leapt up to the rooftops, looking down on the streets. He wasn't so sure that it was just the hollow that suffered from perversion and a depraved mind. It was as though he had suddenly been made aware of Ishida Uryuu and now he was helpless to go back to happy ignorance.

Why was he, of all people, standing out the most now? Just what was so special about Ishida, anyway? Sure he was the smartest in their class and clever, with strong convictions. But he was stubborn, and weird! He liked lace and frills and… and soft clothes… Soft like his hair was soft. Did Ishida have silk sheets or Egyptian cotton? No, don't go there!

Ichigo stopped his rooftop search to catch his breath and clear his mind. This was maddening; he had to stop thinking about Ishida now! And not think about why his depraved thoughts were starting to focus more and more on just the Quincy. Maybe it was because at of all the low and filthy thoughts he'd had, the only ones he had actually acted on were thoughts about Ishida. Why did the idiot have to be constantly in his way? If it weren't for that he wouldn't be as bad as he was now! Probably, anyway…

Stupid Ishida! It was childish to blame him and Ichigo knew it, but if he felt the tiniest bit better then it was worth it. Stupid Ishida with his scrawny body! He was so pale, and with his bleach white clothes he could probably glow in the dark! Hadn't he ever heard of a little something called sunlight? And he wasn't strong at all, was he? There was no real sign of muscles working under the Quincy's white clothes. Not like Ichigo's own athletic build or Renji's or many of the other male Shingami's. But he was fast, agile, and probably very flexible. Ichigo could easily see himself being able to spread Ishida's legs and bend him in half, imagining how his tanned skin would look against the soft milky white of the Quincy's.

Ishida must be so hot inside, that cold attitude had to be nothing more than a disguise for a hot, wanton body. Ichigo could remember the brief moment after he had kissed Ishida and the glazed, faraway look in his eyes. He wanted to see that expression again, intensified as his body sank into the yielding one beneath him.

Ichigo started to wonder what Ishida looked like without his glasses. Would his eyes look bigger, more vulnerable? More like those large, glistening eyes that Orihime had given him yesterday? Eyes that looked more capable of begging for more, unlike the cold, calculating eyes behind Ishida's squared frames. Ichigo wanted to see his vulnerability. He could hear Ishida's breathless moan of his name as he looked at him with large eyes stripped of their glass barrier. Ichigo stifled a groan, feeling his body thrum almost painfully, and pressed his forehead against the cold, grating surface of a brick chimney.

He had to stop; he couldn't keep thinking things like this. But even as that thought crossed Ichigo's mind, he was already too far gone. The substitute Shingami was lost in a fantasy of heated skin, slick with sweat, sliding against each other. Incredible, tight heat engulfed his oversensitive organ and Ishida's familiar voice cried out his name in passion, nails digging into his back to pull him even closer to the unresisting form. He was lost in the pleasure filled, glazed orbs of dark blue.

When Ichigo finally resurfaced from his heated daydream he found himself in a dark alley, the sun now set below the horizon. What had happened to the rooftops? And the darkness of the sky told of a lapse in time, but how long? Like waking from a deep sleep, Ichigo slowly became more and more aware of his surroundings.

He wasn't alone.

And someone was crying.

A kind of numb fog settled over his mind in a protective cover as Ichigo's eyes moved to the figure he was clasping onto so tightly. There was a young man in his arms, pressed firmly against the grimy wall by his dark robed body. Tears slid over the boy's cheeks, eyes screwed tightly shut behind his glasses. His dark hair was mussed and matted slightly by blood, making Ichigo wonder if the taste in his mouth was his own blood from before, or the boy's.

"P-please…" the young man begged softly, trembling violently. "Please don't…"

Ichigo released the hands held tightly in his own and stepped back, pulling his robe closed almost without thinking about it. The young man remained trembling against the wall for a moment and then fell to his knees with a sob, quickly pulling his pants back in place. Continuing to stare at the weeping teen before him, Ichigo could only think how glad he was that the boy couldn't see him. But then he wondered if, for the rest of his life, this young man was going to have nightmares of a faceless man dragging him into the alley and-

'So close,' a familiar voice whispered in his mind. 'So very close…'

With a strangled sound, Ichigo turned and ran, leaving the sobbing boy behind him. A pressure was building in his mind, as though trying to break through the numb barrier erected around his sanity, rushing in his ears like a dull roar.

No.

He hadn't.

It wasn't POSSIBLE.

The roar was growing louder, filling up every part of him with mindless noise that seemed to carry a soft, manic laughter. The world blurred around him and Ichigo realized he had no idea where Zangetsu was as his feet flew over the ground, taking him away from the alley.

Taking him away from the rape.

His foot caught and Ichigo stumbled suddenly, landing hard against the ground hard enough to scrape and bruise. He lay there for a moment, panting and gasping for breath as though the world were suddenly devoid of all air. Then the pressure broke the barrier on his mind, and throwing back his head, Ichigo screamed into the night.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Kitty: Hurray for the short chapter of talking and angst! Sometimes you just have to let the story end where it does, yanno?

Haze: It did seem like a good ending point to me, too. Just when the angst has peaked! Because we're not evil at all! 9.9; But an intervention is on the horizon! Ichigo has to stop making everyone worry!

Kitty: Yeah, Ichigo! And here I thought Ishida was the drama queen!

Haze: It's always the ones you least expect... *shakes head and sighs* But we're here to love and support him and with our support I'm sure he'll stop molesting strangers in dark alleys at least!

Kitty: Or he'll at least ask their name first... The next update may be a bit slow, since Rave goes into surgery tomorrow and will be pretty pathetic for a few days. :B *shot*

Haze: *throws gun into the Rio Grande* I love you, too Kitty! It's minor surgery, and I will be feeling icky for a few days... but who knows, with nothing else to do for a while but recover that might not exactly be entirely true? OH! And please vote in Kitty's poll! Decide what you want us to write about next!

Kitty: *lies about bleeding* Yes, please vote!

Haze: I'm just posting our notes from y!g. It's been a month since I've had surgery and Kitty's poll on y!g is closed now. Just to let you goes know and avoid confusion! Please review!


	5. Chapter 5

Rukia had always considered herself to be pretty wise to the ways of the world, able to adapt to any situation calmly and with a clear plan of attack. But when she found Ichigo on the roof of a building not far from Urahara's shop, she was completely and utterly at a loss.

Ichigo was crying.

Not openly sobbing or wailing or even weeping, but staring out into the night sky as tears slid steadily down his cheeks. For a long moment, Rukia considered just leaving again, in spite of everything. But then she walked forward and sat down beside him. Neither of them spoke and eventually Ichigo's silent tears stopped, the sky beginning to lighten with the coming of dawn. His eyes were somewhat distant, but intensely focused and haunted by whatever horrors he had seen in the past day. When the first rays of morning touched the city, he began to speak.

Though she was sure Ichigo had left names and details out of his confession, Rukia said nothing through it all, half afraid that he might run off on his own again. Her breath caught when he came to describe the alley though, and she turned to look at him.

"I didn't," he assured her softly, looking down at his hands. "There wasn't any blood on… I didn't, I'm sure of it. But I almost did. I…fuck, Rukia. For a moment, after it happened, I just wanted to be done. Wanted to give in, to give up. I almost thought it would be worth it to not have to fight anymore."

"Ichigo," she said, her voice firm. "You can't let him win. Not ever."

"I know that," he sighed, closing his eyes. "But I'm so tired, Rukia… I'm at my breaking point. I can't take much more of this. Soon enough, all that's left of me will shatter and only it will remain."

Lifting a hand, Rukia gently rapped Ichigo on the head, looking at him gravely. "No, you're not. You're not breaking or shattering…you're not losing. You are, however, an idiot. When has going it alone ever been the best solution? You have friends and allies for a reason."

Ichigo gave his friend a small, sheepish grin. "I guess I have kind of needed help… Rukia, I…" He blushed and looked down at his hands again, coughing slightly. "I kissed Ishida."

Rukia hid a smile, nodding. "Yeah…we all kind of saw that, actually."

The Shinigami shot her a wide-eyed look, a bright red blush creeping over his cheeks. "W-what? A…all of you?"

"Well…except Orihime. She was busy killing the hollow."

"Fuck!" Ichigo groaned, burying his head in his hands. "He's going to KILL me!"

She patted his shoulder consolingly. "Don't be so sure…he's your friend too, you know. He's worried." Ichigo mumbled something and Rukia frowned. "What?"

"I said it wasn't just that one time, okay! There was another time, too. Before I… before the alley. And I…think I enjoyed it," he admitted, not looking at her.

A blush crept over Rukia's cheeks and her eyebrows rose. "Oh! Well…that explains why he looked so flustered when I saw him yesterday… I just thought you had acted strangely, not-" She gestured a bit. "You know… But Ichigo, it's okay. To be attracted to…well, you know."

Ichigo glared halfheartedly at her. "I'm not gay." It sounded weak, even to him.

"Of course not," Rukia lied patiently, patting his hand. "But Ichigo, there's something we should talk about. A potential solution to your problem."

"A… solution?" Ichigo gave her a doubtful look, unable to risk hope at this point. "You think that there's really a way to stop this?"

She hated to raise his hopes too high and sighed, "Like I said, a potential solution." Checking her watch, Rukia nodded as she got to her feet. "Everyone should be gathered by now. I wasn't sure when I'd find you, so I asked everyone to get together and wait first thing this morning."

"Gathered? What…?" Ichigo frowned, but got to his feet as well.

Rukia looked at him seriously. "Ichigo…it's time we had an intervention."

"A what?" he gave her an indignant look. "Rukia, this isn't an addiction problem! I don't need an intervention!"

That just made it sound like he was the problem; like he was a sex crazed addict and they had to stop him before he started sucking off businessmen in alleys. That thought made his jaw tighten. Maybe they weren't so far off the mark, after all.

"Now isn't the time to nitpick over words, Ichigo," Rukia sighed in exasperation as she moved to the fire escape. Ichigo might have been able to jump around like a super hero, but she was gigai bound at the moment. People would notice a teenager leaping off a building, even in the early morning hours.

"Just who is 'everyone' anyways?" he asked as he followed after her. Ichigo didn't think he could face this problem with Inoue, or worse yet, her buxom roommate. Or someone like Yumichika! Even now he could imagine their reactions to finding out his… situation and shuddered at the thought.

"Don't worry, we took care of everything," Rukia responded, as though she had read his mind. He supposed that in a way she had if she had set this all up, but he wasn't entirely convinced it was the best idea.

"And who is we?"

Rukia didn't answer this time, walking ahead toward Urahara's shop.

"Rukia!"

Ichigo stopped just outside the familiar shop, feeling a squeamish tightening in the pit of his stomach as he stared at the cheerful, 'Sorry, we're closed!' sign. No… he shouldn't go in there, it wasn't right. That feeling of hyperawareness was starting to come over him again, like it had in school before the Ishida Kissing Incident. His breathing rose to shallow pants, eyes dilating as they cast about wildly. He had to get away!

"Ichigo, what are you doing? Get in here!" Rukia grabbed him by the arm and pulled him forward, cutting off any escape plans.

Stumbling over the lip of the front door, Ichigo caught his balance before he could fall over completely. Rukia refused to relinquish her grip though, almost seeming to sense his desire to get away as she all but dragged him to the back of the shop and Urahara's dining room.

Ichigo could feel his heart pounding against his ribcage and the chill of the hollow lurking under his skin, desperate to break free. Everything seemed to echo in his ears, giving the world a surreal quality. He started to tug half-heartedly at Rukia's hold, but the petite girl was stronger than her small frame gave away and refused to let the substitute Shingami go.

"You can't run away, Ichigo! We're doing this for your own good," Rukia stated firmly, pulling him fully into the room before releasing his hand to push him toward a chair.

Once again Ichigo found he was stumbling and catching himself, but froze as he caught sight of the others in the room. Chad, Renji, and Hitsugaya all seemed tired, probably from gathering at the crack of dawn to wait for his arrival, but that didn't conceal the worry in their expressions. Ichigo felt a throb of heat in his loins and an answering chill in his mind. The hollow was getting impatient with him and being near these three men, two of whom he had fantasized about, made it that much worse.

"Ichigo," Hitsugaya's serious voice brought the dazed Shinigami's attention to him.

Hitsugaya looked young to be sure, but he, like Rukia, was many times older than Ichigo. There was a deep maturity in his aquamarine eyes, having seen things children who looked his age should never see. Already he could see those ice cold eyes large and bright, glazed with pleasures forbidden to one who looked so young, but that was what made it so delectable.

No! This wasn't him! He would never consider such a thing! That damn hollow! He was affecting his thoughts now. Ichigo closed his eyes tightly and willed the monster back into the depths of his subconscious where he belonged, cringing a little when he heard insane laughter echo loudly through his mind in response.

"Oi, Ichigo. Are you alright?" Renji broke Ichigo's view of Hitsugaya as he stepped forward, hands on his hips and brows furrowed as he studied him.

Like the boyish captain, Renji was in his gigai, but unlike him he was wearing his pajamas, his hair down. That's right; Renji lived here with Urahara, his little monsters, and his giant. Did that make Renji his monkey or his pineapple? He must have stayed in his sleepwear to be more comfortable.

Where did Renji sleep anyway? Did he have his own room…or was he paying Urahara rent? What would Urahara make Renji do to for room and board? Perhaps Urahara followed the paths of Renji's angular tattoos, tracing them with his tongue and watching the redhead from under his lashes with amusement at how it was affecting him. How often had his pale hands pushed aside that shirt and ventured into the loose cotton pants? Would Renji moan or grit his teeth when Urahara's equally pale cock pushed into him?

Ichigo licked his lips thinking about it. Renji's long, red hair loose in wild disarray or tangled over pale fingers that pulled slightly. He could see himself between them, biting down on Renji's strong shoulder as he pushed inside while Urahara draped himself over Ichigo's back. He could already taste the salty tang of skin and smell the warm musk of their bodies.

"Ichigo!" Renji tried calling to him again, chilled by the starved look in the gaze the teen had fixed him with.

With a sharp intake of breath, Ichigo's eyes snapped back into focus and he shook his head a little to clear it. He was doing it again! He couldn't drift off like this; he had to remain in control. Desperation rising, he moved his eyes around the room and tried to focus on anything but Renji, or Hitsugaya for that matter. Unfortunately, he'd forgotten about Chad. The worry clear in the gentle giant's soulful look kept Ichigo from looking away again, but it eased his tension slightly.

Sado didn't say anything, just kept his gaze on him silently; yet even such a simple act was done with such worry and care. He really was Ichigo's closest friend, always trying to protect him. He was always willing to use that big, strong body of his to keep him safe and happy. And what an amazing body it was. Chad could probably bench press him without breaking a sweat.

'What else can that body do with you?' a voice whispered into his mind, hovering on the edge of laughter. Ichigo's breath caught softly in his throat as the images came unbidden.

That strong body, warm to the touch, could easily cover Ichigo's. He could feel those corded muscles moving under his fingertips. Chad, always the strong, silent type, would gasp and sigh at his touch and Ichigo would relish every sound. He would shudder with pleasure over Ichigo and the feel of those large hands on his skin would make him arch and moan in return. Ichigo could imagine Chad's full lips parting as he slid down, brushing their velvety softness over his eager length before swallowing it whole.

"Is Kurosaki here yet?"

Ishida's voice pierced through Ichigo's fantasy as easily as one of his arrows, bringing the Quincy into sharp focus. Ichigo felt a thrum go through his body, his heart thudding loudly in his chest at the sight of the slim, bespectacled boy. Heat flooded through his veins, the earlier bouts of arousal like wafts of warm air compared to this fire that sent images burning through his mind. Memories of the Quincy pressed flushed against his body came to the forefront of his memory, the sweet taste of his lips a pale remembrance on his tongue.

Ichigo felt the ghost of Ishida's body arch against his own, heard the distant echo of the little noises he made and remembered the feeling of the Quincy's tongue sliding against his own. It all felt so real in his memories, coupled with fantasies of Ishida arching and crying out his name, those storm blue eyes vulnerable and naked without the shield of his glasses. His palms itched to feel Ishida's soft, pale flesh flushed and glistening with sweat, writhing under him as he encased himself in the tight, hot sheath of the Quincy's body.

Panting heavily for breath, Ichigo swallowed thickly as he stared at Ishida. His eyes narrowed in concentration, like those of a predator that had just spotted its perfect prey. Uryuu's body locked up in instinctive fear and something else entirely, unable to do anything but stare helplessly as Kurosaki licked his lips.

"Ishida…"

The Shinigami took a step forward, his eyes, focused solely on his prey, glowing golden as black slowly started to seep into the whites of his eyes. A grin spread across his lips as he slowly stalked forward, but he stopped when the resounding sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed loudly in the room. It took him a moment to figure out what had happened, his head having snapped to the side from the force of Rukia's slap.

Brown eyes normal again, he shook his head to clear the last fuzzy thoughts away and then turned his glare full force on the petite brunette. "What the fuck?"

Rukia didn't answer as she held up a small piece of bone white ceramic. Ichigo recognized it almost at once as a tiny piece of the hollow mask that sometimes formed over his face. His eyes widened in shock and revulsion, only realizing then that the others had moved as well, standing defensively between him and Ishida.

The Quincy, for his part, still had his gaze fixed on Ichigo and was frowning thoughtfully.

"I…I'm sorry," Ichigo murmured softly, turning away and sitting himself down in the chair Rukia had pushed him at earlier. He didn't think he had ever felt more embarrassed or ashamed. This had gotten out of control…and now he'd put all his friends in danger.

"Well…I'm convinced now," Hitsugaya said after a moment, taking his seat once more and regarding Ichigo seriously. Chad nodded his agreement and sat down beside his friend, giving him a worried look.

"Please," Ichigo sighed almost brokenly, running his hands through his hair. "You said there might be a solution?"

"Yes…" Rukia answered gently, coming to sit on Ichigo's other side. "How well versed are you in Western mythology?"

Ichigo frowned a little, looking at her. "Like…Greek myths or English folklore?"

"Both…in a sense. When I was still at the Academy I came across some research during my studies. It claimed that almost all mythological creatures were based upon actual, unexplainable events taking place. The researcher suggested that it was due to hollow attacks. Take vampires, for example. There were groups of hollows that shared a similar characteristic of feeding on spiritual energy and gorging on human blood through holes in the neck. Humans would find the bodies drained of blood and rationalize what had happened to them by creating vampires."

Nodding in understanding, Ichigo gave her a thoughtful look. "And a Menos Grande could easily leave behind footprints that would make people talk about giants." His brow furrowed again. "But what does that have to do with me?"

"Well you're not exactly human, Ichigo. Just like you're not a Shinigami and, fortunately, not a hollow. But the hollow is a part of you and just like your Shinigami skills have affected your human life, your inner hollow has changed you as well."

"Changed?" Ichigo repeated with a frown, not liking where this was going. "Changed how."

"Come on, Rukia, stop dancing around the issue. You're a sex demon, Ichigo," Renji stated bluntly.

Rukia shot a glare at Renji's tactlessness as Ichigo's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull. Sighing, she rubbed her forehead briefly. "An incubus, to be specific. It was suggested that along with hollows that fed on human blood, there were others who fed on less physical aspects of a human. Such as their fear or sadness…or sexual energy."

Silence followed that statement as everyone let Ichigo digest this new information.

"Let me see if I've got this all straight, because I feel like I've wandered into crazy town. Hollows have different specialties, just like Shinigami do, and it's these quirks that have led to the invention of mythological creatures. Including incubuses-"

"Incubi," Ishida corrected softly from where he still stood, regarding Ichigo.

"Incubi. And you think that the hollow inside me has the same kind of specialty as these incubi, which is making me into some kind of sex demon. Did I get all that right?" Ichigo demanded, his face red.

"It does account for your strange behavior," Hitsugaya commented calmly, his gaze cool and even. "According to what Sado and Renji have told me, you've been staring at them for unnaturally long periods of time for the past few weeks. Even in places where one should not stare, such as the showers and locker rooms at your school. And now there have been the…recent incidents." The boyish captain's eyes flicked over toward Ishida, who blushed, but refused to acknowledge the look.

Ducking his head slightly in shame that his strange behavior had been obvious to his friends before he'd become aware of it, Ichigo sighed. "Okay…so I'm a sex demon. What now? How do I get rid of it?"

"You…don't," Rukia admitted gently. "The hollow is part of you now and there's no changing that. And it's obvious now that there's no avoiding it, either. You have to accept the changes that have been presented to you and adapt to them."

"Meaning…?"

"For one thing, you could start jacking off more," Renji said, smirking at the Shinigami. "It'd help with that permanent crease between your eyebrows too, I'd bet. You could also look into getting a serious girlfriend."

"Or boyfriend," Rukia added helpfully. Fortunataely for Ichigo's sanity, no one commented on this.

Going pale, Ichigo couldn't decide who he wanted to glare at more and settled for closing his eyes tightly instead. "I'm not just going to become some kind of…playboy just to feed my inner demon!"

A large, warm hand fell on Ichigo's shoulder and his eyes opened to meet Sado's expressive gaze. "No," he stated flatly, giving his friend a serious look. "Not for this, Chad."

Sado looked a bit forlorn at the flat out refusal to accept his help, but he nodded gently in understanding, squeezing the Shinigami's shoulder before dropping his hand. Sparing him a brief, tense smile to let Chad know he appreciated the silent offer, Ichigo looked back at the others.

"There's…really no other way to deal with this?" he asked softly, knowing the answer.

"We're not completely sure that this is even a solution, Ichigo. But we have to try. If this isn't taken care of soon…" Rukia trailed off, letting it hang there, but they all knew what would happen. Soul Society would be notified and Ichigo would be tried.

And found guilty.

After an uneasy breakfast with Urahara and several more offers, however reluctant, to 'lend a helping hand', Ichigo returned home and leapt up to the window of his room. With an irritated smack, he dislodged Kon from his body; though found that his head still smarted when he settled into it a few moments later. Dropping Kon's essence onto his desk until he could bring himself to find the stuffed lion that housed it, Ichigo headed for the shower.

His mind was in turmoil over all that had transpired at his 'intervention'. One part of his mind was merely touched that his friends and allies had cared enough to push past the awkwardness of the situation to confront it logically. Another was so mortally embarrassed and ashamed that he might never be able to look them in the face again. Yet another was seriously considering Hitsugaya's surprising and mind-bending suggestion to purchase sex toys.

It was just horrific to think that he, a teenage boy, was so sexually repressed that his inner demon was able to get a fairly good grip on his mind and body. Ichigo knew that a large part of the problem was simply that he didn't masturbate.

Ever.

When he was younger and more interested in the exciting new sensations his body was experiencing, it was a different story. Ichigo had played with himself quite a few times back then, until one horrible, fateful day that changed everything. The day Ichigo's father took it upon himself to ask if his son was masturbating yet.

That day immediately shut down any sexual curiosity Ichigo might have fostered, for his father not only asked if he were masturbating regularly, but encouraged him to do so. Isshin had insisted that masturbation was only healthy for a boy his age and if he hadn't started yet, he would be more than happy to provide instructional material on the subject for Ichigo to browse through at his own discretion.

Since that day, Ichigo had been so utterly mortified that he hadn't touched himself beyond time spent in the restroom and a quick clean in the shower. He had been through frequent and intense wet dreams, but upon waking he never paid any more attention to his neglected cock than to tidy it up before stubbornly going back to sleep.

And now he HAD to masturbate.

Frequently.

For the sake of the world.

With a brief groan, Ichigo lifted his chin, squared his shoulders and determinedly stripped off his clothing. Stepping into the spray of the shower, Ichigo took a deep breath and put his hand on his length, already perking up in anticipation of the attention it was about to receive. A sharp rap at the door interrupted him.

"Ichigooo! How much longer are you going to be?" Yuzu's plaintive voice came through the bathroom door.

Ichigo pulled his hand away from himself like he'd been burned, a wave of guilt washing over him to have been touching his cock within 100 yards of his little sister. "J-just give me a few minutes, Yuzu! I'm trying to take a shower!"

"Hurry up, please! I have to tinkle and dad's in the downstairs bathroom!"

All chances of an erection gone now, Ichigo let his head thunk against the shower wall a few times before grabbing the soap. "Be right out…"

The world was fucked.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Kitty: Yay! We've pushed past the angst for a while! I think we've got two chapters to go on this one...

Haze: I estimate about two chapters, too... But the angst is never really gone... just given in such small dosages they can be overlooked sometimes... *clears throat* Ichigo must save the world! WITH HIS PENIS!

Kitty: We always knew it to be true, and now we have written PROOF! Nevermind that we wrote it...sheesh, technicality.

Haze: Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

The day after the 'intervention', Ichigo returned to school and to the untrained eye things seemed back to normal. The perverted, womanizing version of Ichigo, aka Kon, was gone and the sour-faced, glowering Ichigo had returned with a vengeance. But those familiar with Ichigo knew better than to think all was right with the world again, or at least Uryuu assumed they did, for it seemed glaringly obvious to him. Ichigo was more strained and moody than usual. He kept a safe distance from them all and was flat out cruel to Keigo in response to the idiot's constant attempts at surprise attack and affection.

The subdued teen was quiet and he seemed constantly distracted, though he would immediately focus and tense whenever anyone got near him, finding an excuse to leave. Ichigo didn't hang out with his friends during lunch like he usually did, using the excuse that he had to catch up on the work he missed the past two days. And while it did seem unlikely that the idiot Gikongan would actually keep up with Ichigo's homework, Ichigo also refused any help in studying, though the intervention had caused them all to miss class yesterday along with the substitute Shinigami. The fact of the matter was that Ichigo's attention in the classroom was continuing its steady decline and was obviously not his biggest concern.

"A thousand yen says he's not taking care of matters downstairs," Uryuu had overheard Renji say during lunch, shaking his head at Rukia.

Was that it? Despite everything, Ichigo was not…relieving himself, even though he knew it could be dangerous for himself and his friends if he didn't? The Quincy had always known that the substitute Shinigami was an idiot, but an idiot of this caliber? Despite his flaws, Uryuu had always believed Kurosaki to put the safety of his family and friends over everything, so why would he resist in pleasuring himself, of all things?

There had to be more to it. But then Uryuu had already suspected as much… A frown furrowed his brow as he remembered the conversation from the morning before.

/Yesterday Morning/

"I'm still not convinced that something this far-fetched could actually be the cause of his problem," Renji stated flatly after Ichigo had bade them farewell and had gone home to rest. It was obvious that though the redhead and gone along with Rukia's idea, he still wasn't convinced of it himself.

"It's better than to assume that Ichigo's becoming a dangerous deviant," Hitsugaya replied, taking a slow sip of the tea Tessai had just finished serving to them all.

"Yeah, but being the better choice doesn't make it the right choice," Renji argued.

"No, I guess not," the genius captain agreed.

"It's what makes the most sense!" Rukia argued, refusing to give up on Ichigo. She knew him better than they did and she knew it couldn't just be a slow descent into the madness of the hollow.

"It makes more sense that Ichigo is an incubus and has to jack off to keep us safe from his sexual assault?" Renji scoffed, making Rukia blush. Saying it like that didn't make it sound all that likely. "I'll admit that Ichigo's wound tight as anything and could use some release of that sexual frustration, but this…"

"It makes more sense that someone like Ichigo suddenly became a sexual deviant, is that it?" her voice was clipped and she gave the redhead a cold look worthy of Byakuya.

"Rukia, I want to believe that he isn't-"

"Then why don't you!" Rukia interrupted him, raising her voice.

The room was silent for a long moment, the tension thick in the air.

Uryuu, who had been watching the argument, suddenly cleared his throat. "I have to wonder though," he began and paused, waiting until he had their attention before continuing, "if Renji's suggestion that Kurosaki mastur- pleasure himself is really the best solution."

The question was followed with more silence, everyone staring at the Quincy questioningly.

"What do you mean? If Ichigo's problem is sexual frustration, shouldn't sexual gratification be the best solution?" Rukia asked, though it was clear she was already reevaluating the idea.

"Well yes, I suppose that does make sense, but you said that his hollow was an incubus type, yes?" Rukia nodded and Uryuu continued, "You said yourself that incubi in legend feed on the sexual energy of their victims. Would Ichigo…finding his own gratification really satisfy the hollow within him?"

The question seemed to permeate the air, a whole different kind of tension filling the room as they all thought about it.

It was Rukia who broke the silence again, "I think that in Ichigo's current condition it's the best solution. He's so tense and wound up with worry that it could be what he needs to satisfy the hollow within him."

"But it isn't a permanent solution. Ishida is right, sooner or later seeking his own release might not be enough to satisfy the hollow within Ichigo," Hitsugaya said with a thoughtful frown. "Before long he may need more and if he can't bring himself to find it, the hollow might force its way out like it has been trying to do. It may take the sexual energy it needs by force."

"Ichigo isn't like that," Sado was quick to defend his friend, frowning at the captain.

"Ichigo isn't," Hitsugaya agreed softly, "but the hollow is."

They were quiet again and even more unsettled now than they were before the young man in question had left. Ichigo had always been the pillar of strength amongst his friends. It was his strength that had drawn them all together as a group and he was always the first in line to help if one of them were in trouble. But now the one in trouble was Ichigo himself, and they were at a loss of just how they could help him.

Urahara, who had been watching them all in unnatural silence with his expression hidden carefully behind his fan, suddenly snapped said fan closed and tapped it against the palm of his hand. "There's only one thing that can be done," he said with a dramatic air.

Everyone waited for the eccentric shopkeeper to explain further on his theatrical statement…and continued waiting until Uryuu snapped irritably, "Well? What is it?"

Urahara blinked, as if suddenly coming out of deep thought and remembering that he had a full table of guests, then grinned at the Quincy. "You should know. It was your idea, wasn't it? We have to get Ichigo laid."

"W-what? That… That wasn't my idea!" Uryuu stuttered and blushed brightly, his eyes the size of saucers behind his glasses.

"You really think we need to go that far? Given his multiple refusals of our help in 'feeding' him, I don't think Ichigo would ever go for it," Hitsugaya said, crossing his arms over his chest as his brows furrowed.

"It's for his own good," Urhara waved the doubts away dismissively. "He'll be grateful when his hollow doesn't take over and decide to have non-consensual relations with each and every one of us. Before draining our reiatsu and killing us, of course. Or maybe after…you never know with hollows."

Everyone couldn't help but shudder at the lovely imagery Urahara had just painted for them. It wasn't very appealing.

Urahara took their horrified silence as their consent to the idea, grinning and flicking his fan back open, hiding his face behind it once more, "Then it's settled! Ishida-kun! Good luck in your quest to seduce Ichigo for the sake of the world."

Uryuu's eyes nearly bugged out of his head, "W-what? Why me?"

The peculiar man cocked his head slightly and chuckled, "Fufufu, well it was your idea."

"N-no it wasn't!" Uryuu sputtered indignantly, blushing crimson to the tips of his ears. "It was yours!"

"But I'm not Ichigo's favorite." There was almost a pout in Urahara's voice. "And I even got up early in anticipation that he would come to see me after the intervention…"

Uryuu didn't think he could blush any darker, but he was wrong, almost feeling light-headed. "What are you saying? T-that's absurd!"

"Oh? Is it? I don't recall Rukia telling me about Ichigo kissing anyone other than you. Or did you mean the part where Ichigo doesn't want me to show him the ways of love?"

Uryuu felt his insides freeze, his breath catching in his throat. Looking around, he saw no surprise at all in anyone else's expression, though a hint of guilt in Rukia's. They had all seen that stunt Kurosaki had pulled when the idiot stole his first kiss, mid battle. And seeing as Hitsugaya and Tessai hadn't been there, it was obvious that it hadn't been kept secret among them. He was surprised his head hadn't burst from the swell of blood coloring his face.

"T-that's just… I-it was just… I was just there when he lost control! That's all!"

"You weren't here at the start of the intervention, Ishida." Hitsugaya was looking at the Quincy thoughtfully. "Before you got here Ichigo was acting strangely to be sure, but he didn't lose control until he saw you. It's clear that he seems to have a personal attraction to you."

A tremor went down Uryuu's spine. Ichi- Kurosaki had only lost control when he saw him?

"And you said before that the second time he kissed you the hollow mask started to form," Rukia continued. "The same thing happened here as soon as Ichigo saw you."

Ishida felt his heart skip a beat, maybe two because he suddenly felt a bit dizzy. "I-I didn't tell that he…" Which meant that Ichigo had. "B-but… Why..?" he argued feebly. "It doesn't make sense. Why would the hollow prefer me?"

"As a Quincy you have a high reiatsu, and a type of reiatsu that Ichigo obviously doesn't feel from anyone else. Maybe that appeals to the hollow," Hitsugaya said thoughtfully.

"But everyone in this room has a reiatsu that a hollow would find appealing! Hollows aren't all that picky about who they like to attack as long as the energy is powerful!"

"Maybe…" Rukia started carefully, "it's because Ichigo himself has a preference for you, Ishida-kun."

The Quincy gaped at the petite girl. His mouth worked for a few moments, but no audible sound escaped him. Kurosaki held a preference for him? Meaning that his strange behavior, though provoked by the hollow, wasn't done unwillingly on Ichi- Kurosaki's part. But why did everyone just assume that he wanted to return that preference anyway? Kurosaki was more a rival than a friend! Wasn't he? A pale hand clasping his shoulder interrupted Uryuu's thoughts and he looked up to meet Urahara's cheerfully gleaming eyes, shadowed by his hat.

"Good luck Ishida-kun. We'll all be rooting for you in your attempt to seduce Ichigo."

/Present/

Of course Uryuu hadn't gone out and attempted to seduce Kurosaki. For one thing it had been early enough in the morning that sexual activity seemed nothing short of scandalous. And for another, Uyruu wasn't entirely sure he wanted to proposition Kurosaki, even for the sake of the world. But the rest of the day had been spent with the boy on his brain, remembering the strange interaction between them the past few days.

Uryuu wasn't an idiot and though he might deny it until his face turned blue, he could have admitted Kurosaki's apparent attraction before the intervention had even begun. From the moment Ichigo had crossed the boundary between them to smell his hair, the Quincy had been watching, even as he told himself he was ignoring. He had seen the way those brown eyes focused on him more intensely than with anyone else and knew that it wasn't just his pride telling him so.

And what was more, Uryuu knew that he wanted those eyes to focus on him.

A small shiver went through Uryuu at the thought as the final bell rang and he stared steadfastly at his desk as Kurosaki stood and left the room even before the teacher. But even though he couldn't see him, he was completely aware of Ichigo's movement. Uryuu was aware of Ichigo.

Soft warmth settled on his back as Rukia's hand gently set there. After a moment, he looked up into her quietly concerned gaze and nodded once. She smiled and patted lightly before reaching into her bag, pulling out a slip of paper and handing it to him. Taking it, Uryuu raised an eyebrow as he read it and then flushed slightly, nodding again. Nodding as well, Rukia gave him a small wink before turning to leave the classroom. The girl was enjoying this situation more than she should, given the seriousness of it.

Uryuu continued to stare at the paper as the rest of the room cleared out before he finally folded it neatly and tucked it into his shirt pocket resolutely. Ishida Uryuu was going to take Kurosaki Ichigo on a date.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Stroke upward, pause to squeeze the head just a little, then stroke back down. Rotate the wrist slightly. More lotion? Less? Ichigo sighed and closed his eyes tightly, his brow furrowed in concentration as he attempted, yet again, to bring himself off. It hadn't been this complicated when he was younger, had it? He was this close to asking his father for the instructional material he'd offered years ago, because the only guidelines he had right now came from the fucking hollow! And each time he thought of his encounters with the hollow…

"Fuck!" Ichigo cursed as he lost his erection again, a wave of nausea running over him at the memory of bone white hands on his skin.

"Are you sure you don't want me to do that for you?" the demon whispered with an evil chuckle and Ichigo could feel those cold hands resting over his own.

"No!" Ichigo breathed harshly, keeping his eyes shut tight. If he opened them, he knew his gaze would move to the mirror and he'd be lost.

"Come on, don't be so stubborn… You can pretend to be as horrified as you like, King, but the truth is you always enjoy it when I make you cum," the hollow replied to his protest and began guiding Ichigo's hands. "If you were really determined, you'd have finished this by now, but I think you've really just been waiting for me to do it for you."

"You're wrong, you make me sick!" the Shinigami growled in response, face reddening with shame as he started to harden again. Shuddering as he felt a ghostly tongue slide over the rim of his ear before thrusting teasingly inside, he was never more grateful to hear Karin's voice.

"Ichigo! There's some dork at the front door for you!" she shouted from the other side of his bedroom door.

"T-thanks, Karin, I'll be right down!" he yelled back and stood up quickly, stumbling across the room without opening his eyes.

Once he was past the mirror, Ichigo opened his eyes again and grabbed some tissues off his desk to clean up the lotion before doing up his pants. He could still hear the hollow's laughter and feel his presence, but as long as he kept moving and didn't catch sight of his reflection, Ichigo was sure he could ward the corruption off.

Opening the door to his room, Ichigo bumped his little sister affectionately with his knee, giving her a brief, thankful grin, before heading downstairs. "Who is it? Did you leave them standing outside?" Ichigo called back to Karin, even as his feet carried him to the front of the house. He froze when he saw who was standing just outside through the small window on the door.

"Well, well…if it isn't our favorite Quincy…" the hollow murmured gleefully and Ichigo felt a squeeze between his legs.

"Shut your fucking mouth and keep your hands off," Ichigo muttered under his breath as he tentatively reached for the doorknob. "Or I swear, I'll just castrate myself."

"Now there's an idea," the manic voice laughed in response.

Opening the door, Ichigo tried not to outright glare at Ishida, but it was hard when he was unable to glare at the hollow or even himself for getting so ridiculously worked up just from the sight of the bespectacled boy. "What are you doing here?" he demanded softly, not wanting his family to listen in.

Ishida looked a bit taken aback by his tone and frowned at him. "Hello to you, too, Kurosaki."

"Cut the crap, Ishida. I really don't have the patience right now." It was all Ichigo could do to keep the hollow at bay when he kept noticing the curve of Ishida's lips and the smooth expanse of his neck. Ichigo could almost swear he caught the Quincy's scent even at a distance of several feet.

Sighing, Ishida adjusted his glasses before looking at him seriously. "I'm sorry, I know you must be a little…frustrated right now. But I guess that's partly why I'm here. I…was hoping you'd have tea with me."

Ichigo stared incredulously at the Quincy, who blushed under the look. "Tea."

"Y-yes, tea," Ishida assured him. Seeming to remember something, he reached into his shirt pocket, pulling out a slip of paper as though it were very important. "I have a coupon here for that new tea shop in town."

Looking at the coupon, Ichigo blinked a few times before returning his gaze to Ishida. "That's where people go on dates." When the Quincy only raised his chin, as though challenging him, Ichigo understood and stepped out the door, closing it behind him to make sure his family wouldn't overhear.

"What the hell is wrong with all of you?" he demanded in a low voice, even as he blushed. "I thought I made myself clear with Chad and Rukia and Hitsugaya and fucking TESSAI! I'm not going to have…have relations with my friends!"

"I am not here as some sort of virgin sacrifice, Kurosaki!" Ishida blustered, dropping his voice to a whisper when he reached 'virgin'.

"Then why the fuck are you asking me out on a date?"

"Because I want to ask you out on a date, you Neanderthal!"

They both stared at one another in shock, since Ishida had sort of screamed it at Ichigo, the neighborhood seeming unnaturally quiet in the aftermath. Finally, Ichigo broke the stare by looking away, rubbing a hand through his hair in embarrassment.

"But…why? I mean…after everything I…" he asked in confusion, blushing a little. After the way he'd behaved, he really thought that Ishida would want nothing more to do with him.

"Did it ever occur to you that I was…kissing you back?" Ishida countered with another question, blushing and pushing his glasses up his nose.

The world must have tilted on its axis. Staring wide-eyed at the Quincy again, Ichigo felt a rushing through his brain and seriously considered going back inside so he could wake up from this surreal dream. But after a moment, when Ishida didn't turn into a hollow and the sky remained blue, he nodded slowly.

"I'll get my shoes."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Kitty: Yay tea! In Britain, going for tea is the same as going for sex! *outright lie* I wonder if the fate will be the same for Ichigo and Ishida... And I totally lied before, because NOW I think there's only two chapters left. Or maybe a chapter and an epilogue...hmmmmm...

Haze: OMG! Ishida is a hoor asking Ichigo out for tea! That's what bondage clubs are for Ishida! *tsks* Well it was an estimate, thus having an extra chapter or two would still fit into the estimation! Yay math! That is math, right? It's been a while!

Kitty: Ummm...sure it is!

Haze: Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

Ishida Uryuu was going to kill Kuchiki Rukia.

Or her gigai, at the very least. He might need the rest of her alive for torture after he came to his senses. Looking over at Kurosaki, Uryuu suddenly found himself thinking less of Rukia's death and more of his own. At this point in time, it was difficult to say if there had ever been a more embarrassing moment than standing in front of Strawberry Roses, Karakura Town's newly opened tea shop, next to Kurosaki Ichigo, his date.

Because it wasn't just a tea shop, as Rukia had failed to mention. He had known as well as Ichigo that this had become a popular spot for dates, but from where they stood in silent contemplation of the storefront, Strawberry Roses was supposed to be an English Tea Parlor. This theme was stressed by a great deal of white lace, pink satin, silk roses, and delicate little cakes arranged on tiered displays.

Had Uryuu been on his own, he might have enjoyed the decor of Strawberry Roses a great deal more. He might have even asked to speak with the manager and offered some suggestions for adding frill to the table skirts or embroidery to the napkins. But standing there beside his ominously stoic companion, Uryuu felt only complete mortification that of all places, THIS was where he had brought the Soul Reaper on a date.

"We don't-" he began, but was stopped by a sharp shake of the head from Kurosaki.

"Let's get this over with," Ichigo replied firmly, jaw tense with resolve as though he were about to face down a foe. He strode to the door and opened it, freezing briefly at the cheerful jingle of a bell overhead before he walked through.

Following after him, Uryuu breathed in the soft, sweet scents of tea and icing, relaxing slowly. He tensed again, however, as he became aware of the silence around them, except for the faint strands of violin that drifted out of speakers mounted on the walls. Looking around discreetly, Uryuu realized that he and Ichigo had the rapt attention of the entire parlor.

"Fuck..." Ichigo murmured under his breath, glaring as he took in the wide eyed expressions of the two dozen or so girls seated about in small clusters. It was clear that the female population of this parlor desperately wished that they were enjoying the romantic atmosphere with boyfriends...or any nearby male who happened to be available.

"Are you certain we can do this?" Uryuu wondered softly, half to himself.

That firmed Ichigo's resolve again and he shot the Quincy a brief glare before stalking toward the hostess purposefully. "Table for two."

"Please," Uryuu added gently as he followed after the Shinigami, giving her a placating smile.

The hostess seemed to have fallen under the shocked spell as well, but then regained her senses and bowed her head with a flush. "O-of course!" she stammered, her eyes cast shyly at the floor. "Right this way, please!" She led them deeper into the wretched hive of scum and villainy...otherwise known as lace and satin, as far as Ichigo was concerned.

Ichigo felt one of his eyelids twitch with stress. Even the white wooden chairs were sporting elaborate bows with tiny silk flowers at the center and the tables looked like upside-down cup cakes. He knew Ishida was into the cutesy fashion thing, so maybe he shouldn't be so shocked that the Quincy would take him to this sort of place on a date. But...damn it, this was the sort of place girls would try to drag their boyfriends! And only the most girlish ones at that! Even Inoue would have had a difficult time dragging some poor, unsuspecting guy in here, no matter how innocent she was. So what was Ishida's excuse?

Everything was still eerily quiet as they reached their table, right smack dab in the middle of the store. Ichigo couldn't help but feel that they were being put on display. He finally spared a glance at Ishida and stopped short. Maybe this wasn't what Ishida had expected either, because there was no hiding the becoming red color on those pale cheeks, despite the carefully blank expression he wore.

Ichigo's breath caught as reality was replaced by a dark fantasy of those cheeks flushed fever bright, full lips reddened and parted as they moaned his name. It was gone in a flash, but it rocked him to the core, his eyes widening a bit as the two images overlapped.

"Kurosaki-kun?" Ishida's quietly concerned voice broke him out of his Hollow's twisted thoughts.

Ichigo cleared his throat, as if nothing at all had happened, because it hadn't, despite the flare of heat in his groin. Casting his glance as far from Ishida's mouth as possible, he stared at the wall unseeingly for a moment before he processed what he was looking at. "We'll sit over there," he stated before the hostess had a chance to argue, moving away from the exposed table toward a series of raised booths that sat empty along the side walls.

Each set of booths were divided by a privacy wall and a set of dainty curtains could be pulled forward to shield the occupants from the main room. They were the coveted seats of the parlor, meant for the most romantic of dates and more than one gasp left their captive female audience as Ichigo stepped up into the booth and deliberately pulled the curtains shut. Ishida remained standing beside the flustered hostess for a few moments before giving her an apologetic smile and bowing slightly.

"I'm sorry, my friend prefers booths to tables," he offered by way of an explanation, quickly moving away from her and into the curtained booth. Uryuu gave Ichigo a sharp glare for having abandoned him, but it faded to a look of concern at the troubled expression he was met with. "Are you alright? We don't have to stay."

"It's fine," Ichigo said a bit too firmly as he gave a sharp shake of his head, his voice a bit rougher than usual. "I'm not running away from a damn tea parlor." He lowered his eyes to glower at the silk flower centerpiece, which surrounded lightly scented tea lights held up with white wire. "No matter how...pink it is." He spoke the color like a curse.

Uryuu nodded in understanding and was silent as the hostess slipped through the curtains with an even deeper flush than before, lighting the tea lights with a long lighter and handing them each an embossed menu. When she'd left with promises that the waitress would see to them shortly, Uryuu found himself staring at the tea lights as though the tiny flames held some sort of answer to a question he couldn't even form. Finally his dark eyes flicked up to Ichigo again, his heart giving a small flutter at the way the candlelight softened the normally serious features.

"What..." he drifted off and licked his lips before trying again, mouth dry with nervousness. "What are you going to order?"

The flicker of tongue was too much and Ichigo gripped the table tightly as a shudder went through his body, closing his eyes. Images and sounds and sensations flooded his mind, each more real, more substantial than the last, like a fire under his skin. Bone white clay seeped out of the skin at his cheek and brow, seeking to join together around the tight seal his eyelids made. Uryuu made a sound of alarm, reaching across the table to shake his shoulder. When that only seemed to make things worse, he did the only other thing he could think of, which was to kick the Shinigami in the shin. Hard.

With the sharp pain to his leg to distract him, the sensory overload stopped and Ichigo felt as though he could breathe again. The white clay mask fractured and fell from his face, the pieces of it littering the table before dissolving completely into bone dust. Sucking in a sharp breath, Ichigo stared at Ishida with wide, shocked eyes.

"Thank you," his voice was harsh with a mixture of pain from the kick, and strain from trying to reign in his cackling negative half.

"Un..." Uryuu replied quietly, not able to meet Ichigo's gaze. Maybe this had been a mistake. Trying to date the Shinigami in his current state wasn't the most brilliant plan he'd ever come up with. But Uryuu didn't feel comfortable simply...giving himself over like some sort of virgin sacrifice. It suddenly occurred to him that despite the protests he'd given Urahara and the others, he had seriously considered that option when it had been presented to him. He told himself that entertaining the idea had been due to a sense of duty and not some secret desire to turn himself over to Kurosaki's lust.

But though Uryuu wasn't sure exactly what he wanted, he knew what he didn't want was to treat himself and this...whatever it was between them like a sacrifice to be made for the good of all. He wanted it to mean something, even with another man, even with Kurosaki. Or maybe because it was Kurosaki. Uryuu chanced a look at the other teen then and felt a pang of guilt at the haunted look on his face. Here he was trying to help and instead he was just making it worse.

The awkward silence stretched between the two in their intimate enclosure. Each was lost in his own thoughts, unable to directly meet the gaze of their companion.

In a public place, with only a flimsy curtain between them and the unsuspecting girls in the tea parlor, Ichigo had almost lost control. It frightened Ichigo to know that he could lose control in a place like this, when he was in his physical body. That his inner monster would gladly ravage the life out of Ishida here and now and then move on to the poor girls outside, and relish every second of it. Ichigo suddenly felt cold and claustrophobic in that tiny booth, but he knew that all it would take was one more look at the Quincy and those feelings would be replaced with scorching heat that wrested away his control.

"Good afternoon! My name is Koyuki and I'll be your server today! Pleasure to meet you! Are you ready to order?" the waitress looked chipper in her English maid uniform and just a bit too eager to serve them as she bowed and smiled, drawing the curtains open.

The revelation that life still continued on unchanged by his turmoil and inner struggle beyond the lacy shield they sat behind was the final straw for Ichigo. Without a word, he pushed past the startled waitress and quickly wound his way through the maze of tables to the restrooms, the entry to which was discreetly disguised by a pair of white wood trellises.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Ishida scooted out of the booth to follow the other boy, but he wasn't rude enough to just shove the startled waitress out of his way. "My friend, he isn't feeling well. I had better go and check on him..."

Koyuki blinked up at him for a few moments and then blushed under his gaze and bowed her head. "I-I could have some chamomile prepared, then?"

"Yes, thank you," Uryuu returned the bow and walked at a slower pace to the men's bathroom. It was clear from the light layer of dust on the white porcelain fixtures that the men's side was mostly unused, and therefore didn't undertake a daily cleaning. Head bowed between strong shoulders, Ichigo was braced against one of the sinks, gripping the edges of it tightly. He didn't look up when Ishida entered.

"You need to go back to the table," Ichigo said softly, his voice hushed and rough.

"I'm not leaving without you," Uryuu replied as he carefully locked the door so that the Shinigami would at least be slowed down if he tried to leave as quickly as before.

With a frustrated groan, the ginger-haired boy turned toward him angrily, glaring hotly with eyes that were shot through with gold. "If you don't leave now, I'm going to kiss you."

Uryuu froze and felt a hot flush creep up his neck, but didn't back down. Finally, after a few moments of silence, he adjusted his glasses, his eyes on the floor. "I...want you to kiss me." Gaining confidence when he saw Ichigo recoil as though he'd taken a physical blow, he looked up, jaw raised firmly in challenge. "I want you to kiss me, Kurosaki Ichigo. You, not the Hollow, not your sense of duty. So if you're going to kiss me because it's you that wants to, then do it!"

The words almost seemed to echo lightly in the empty room as they stared each other down. Ichigo eyes were pure brown again and wide with shock as he stared into the determined gaze undiminished by the barrier of fashionable glasses. Ishida had asked him on this...this date, but had he really just...?

Ishida made an exasperated sound and folded his arms haughtily. "I'm waiting, Kurosaki."

Yes, he really had, that cocky little... Ichigo glowered in response, but remained where he was, unconvinced. Did he really want to kiss Ishida? Sure he'd had enough fantasies by now to last him a lifetime, and more seemed to come with each passing day...but were they his fantasies or the Hollow's mind games? How much of his attraction to Ishida belonged to Ichigo the Man and how much of it was Ichigo the Shinigami with an Incubus Hollow?

'To be honest, Ichigo, I'm just not that picky,' the Hollow's voice rang in his ears. Ichigo couldn't be sure if it was the memory of those words or the Hollow taunting him right then.

Not for the first time since this had started he wondered...why Ishida? He was annoying and self-righteous. He thought himself superior to all Shingami and constantly put him down for his lack of control and 'shoot first, ask questions later' approach to using his abilities. He called him rude names like Neanderthal and idiot and really the list went on to unfair lengths. Ishida liked pink and frills and BOWS, for crying out loud! He had this annoying know-it-all attitude that rubbed him the wrong way and he was constantly getting in Ichigo's way. Besides hunting hollows they really didn't have anything in common.

The thought of hunting hollows reminded him of their first kiss, of how afterward he'd felt good emotionally, not just physically. He absolutely was not going to reevaluate the love theory, but he had to reconsider that he might...like Ishida. Like him in a way that fed into his desires.

Ishida was passionate with a strong sense of duty and justice. He cared for others, in his own way, even though most people just assumed he was always cold and uptight. He protected those weaker than himself, to the point of being willing to sacrifice his life for near strangers. He was brave, and even facing foes stronger and more numerous than him, the Quincy would never back down. Ishida regarded something as simple as repairing a ripped teddy bear with the same intense focus he used when drawing his bow on a hollow. He was kind and strong and loved to make the world just a little bit more cheerful with his sewing projects.

Ishida was a man worth admiring...and Ichigo knew without a doubt that he did admire him.

Uryuu shifted uncomfortably. Another awkward silence had fallen between them, and Kurosaki was still staring at him dumbly. He had let the romantic atmosphere of the parlor relax him into opening himself up, vulnerable to Kurosaki's whims, and in return Kurosaki was just...staring!

Casting his eyes away at last, Uryuu could feel shame rising in a hot blush on his cheeks, embarrassment twisting his stomach into sour knots. "Nevermind, forget I said-" he broke off as Kurosaki moved finally, raising his eyes again as the other approached.

The kiss was nothing like their previous encounters. For one thing, it didn't take Uryuu by surprise. He could clearly see Ichigo approaching him, could feel the way the Soul Reaper deliberately lifted a hand to cup the back of his neck and draw him forward. Eyes closing too soon, they bumped noses on the first try and Uryuu let out a startled laugh, relaxing the seriousness of the atmosphere they found themselves in. With a quick, nervous grin, Ichigo leaned in again and this time their lips met softly.

It felt good in an entirely different way than before, Ichigo noticed as he closed his eyes to focus on the feel of their mouths moving slightly against one another. This kiss was...right. It settled over him like a warm blanket and sent tingles over his skin from hairline to toes. When he pulled back finally, Ishida moved after him, cupping his jaw and Ichigo met him again willingly, the touch of lips bringing a much more sensual heat to his body this time.

The door to the other bathroom opening and closing broke through their kiss jarringly and Ichigo instinctively grabbed Ishida's hand as he pulled back, tugging him further into the bathroom and into the privacy of one of the stalls. They stared at one another in surprise for a moment and Uryuu was mildly amused to see that Ichigo was startled when he had been the one to drag them in there.

Taking a steadying breath, Ishida whispered softly, feeling in this moment that he couldn't raise his voice, even though they were alone in the room. "What can I do?" he asked, and caught Ichigo's hand firmly when the Soul Reaper frowned and released him. "No, it's not like that. I want to be here, with you. I want to figure out what this is between us...but I can't let you out of this bathroom until I know for certain that you aren't going to lose control again. There are too many innocent bystanders out there."

Ichigo's face was drawn and stubbornly set, but finally he sighed, casting his eyes down as he remembered the crying in the alley and the horrific thing he'd almost done. "I..." he tried to start, then blushed darkly and ducked his head shamefully, voice a bare breath of sound. "I can't...touch myself right. Not enough to...find release."

A bit startled, Uryuu adjusted his glasses and took another slow breath, his heart fluttering up somewhere around his ears. "O-okay," he said as though he'd made up his mind and reached for Ichigo. Snorting softly when this caused the Soul Reaper to jerk backwards until he hit the edge of the stall, he followed, trapping him there like Ichigo had done to him on the rooftop several days ago. "Running away?" he taunted, raising an eyebrow at him coolly, despite the dark blush on his pale cheeks.

Balking at the challenge, Ichigo glared balefully at him and reached around him to shut the stall door, locking it. "Do it then."

Relieved, if he were honest with himself, that they could egg each other on this way, Uryuu brought both his hands to the waistband of Ichigo's jeans and undid the button. When the Soul Reaper made no move to stop him, Uryuu lost a little of his nerve, but drew the zipper down, drawing in a breath to feel the swollen heat of Ichigo's aroused length moving toward his hand as it was freed from the constraining denim. Licking his lips, Uryuu looked down between them and bit his lip at the sight of Ichigo straining through the thin cloth of his boxers.

"Ishida..." Ichigo spoke his name softly, almost pleadingly, though it was hard to tell whether he was begging the Quincy to continue or stop.

"Kurosaki," Uryuu said teasingly, giving him a brief look, since it seemed absurd to use surnames when they were standing like this. He let his fingers brush against the heated white cloth and then pulled the opening loose so that Ichigo could slide out of it. His head fell against the Soul Reaper's shoulder as he took in the sight of Ichigo's cock, standing full and red out from the opening of his boxers.

Raising a hand, Ichigo tangled his fingers, roughened from sword fighting, into Uryuu's soft hair as though the inky strands were a lifeline, reveling in the feel of the silken strands for a moment. Releasing an embarrassingly high pitched keening sound from the back of his throat, he pressed his lips against the Quincy's ear, panting softly against it. "Uryuu..." he acquiesced, nosing him lightly. "Please."

For a moment all Uryuu could do was stare. It was all well and good to say that he wanted to help, that he wanted to do this, but it was completely another to know what to do. He wasn't one for an overindulgence in self-pleasure and he had obviously never touched another man in a sexual manner before. And though Ichigo's erect length had a similar structure, it still managed to look far different from his own.

"Uryuu," Ichigo breathed out his name once more, the sound low and deep, reverberating pleasantly in the pit of the Quincy's stomach.

There was something very arousing about being wanted.

"Ichigo," the name rolled off his tongue sweet like honey, and the sound of it had Ichigo groaning again.

Moving carefully, slowly, as if afraid a sudden movement would startle either of them into leaving, Ishida touched his fingers gently to the other boy's heat. His soft intake of breath was drowned out by the loud hiss Ichigo released, his head falling back against the stall behind him with a thump. His cock jumped eagerly at the first touch, emboldening the other. Licking his lips, Ishida explored the reddened flesh curiously with both hands, fingers alternately soft and rough depending on where they were positioned on his bow and arrow. It gave him a sense of power to know that he could touch this most intimate place, that Ichigo wanted him to...and that he could make such a strong man moan that way.

Ishida watched him with those same intense, focused gaze he used in almost every other aspect of his life, calm and calculating as though Ichigo were something to be studied. The Quincy was watching for his reactions, Ichigo could tell, learning his weaknesses. Those slim fingers were touching him so softly, exploring him, and those soul searing eyes were focused solely on Ichigo. His entire manner was centered on finding what brought him the most pleasure. Ichigo found that he had to close his eyes or he'd lose his mind watching Ishida all but worship him.

He made a strangled sound when those curious touches moved lower, delving into the white fabric at the base of his length to curiously explore his sack, but never once did they firm their touch more. Panting softly, he growled, "Dammit, Ishida... Stop teasing me!"

Uryuu stopped short, blinking a few times. He had thought that Ichigo had been enjoying his touches. He certainly sounded like he had, but apparently it wasn't enough...or too much, as the case might be. "So demanding," he teased, then firmly wrapped his hand around the base of his length and squeezed firmly.

"Ah!" Ichigo's voice broke in surprise and he glared at the Quincy.

His glare was met by a smirk as Uryuu squeezed again, eyebrow cocked nonchalantly while his thumb rubbed firmly along the thick veins. "Better?"

Ichigo took a deep, panting breath, glowering at the slimmer boy. "Much," he ground out and rocked his hips forward demandingly as if to prove his point.

Uryuu snorted softly and started to stroke him in earnest, using what he knew from his own personal explorations to increase Ichigo's pleasure. Or at least he hoped it would. It was awkward stroking from this direction though, the curve of him all wrong compared to what his hands were used to. Suddenly given a flash of inspiration, he released Ichigo entirely and took him by the shoulders to spin him around.

With an indignant squawk that Ichigo would deny making until the day he died, he stiffened as he found himself suddenly bracing against the white wall of the stall, glaring back over his shoulder. "Hey! What do you think-"

"Shut up, Kurosaki," Uryuu said quietly as he wrapped a hand around him again, the other sliding around Ichigo's waist. "I'm not letting you soil my clothing." Which was, of course, far better than saying, 'I don't have the experience give you an adequate hand job from that angle'.

Being pushed face first against the siding of a bathroom stall made what they were doing suddenly that much more clear and Ichigo's hips jerked forward into Uryuu's touch as heat flooded through him at the realization. He could feel Uryuu's breath at the back of his neck now and the press of his body up against his own. The feel of him was so different from the Hollow that he couldn't manage another protest, arching back into his heat. The Quincy stiffened and then moaned softly, nuzzling into his back as he shyly pressed the evidence of his own arousal against him, his hand stroking more confidently now.

Ichigo found himself embarrassingly close compared to the achingly long amounts of time he'd spent trying to bring himself off on his own. He raised his hands over his head to grip the top of the stall as he pushed himself into Uryuu's hand, straining toward completion. Seeming to understand his need, the Quincy wrapped both of his hands, rough and soft around his cock, giving him a tight sheath to thrust into. Ichigo jerked in response and then thrust eagerly, his hips pumping in a way that sent a burning desire through Uryuu's belly.

"Ahh...f-fuck... Nnh...Uryuu!" Ichigo gasped as he came, biting his lip to keep from crying out too loudly as he arched back against him, hips snapping forward as he came in Uryuu's hands.

Blushing darkly, Uryuu was well aware of his own straining arousal, which he had been lightly humping against Ichigo. Pressing his face against Ichigo with a groan as he felt him the sticky, wet warmth of cum slide over his hands, Uryuu squeezed the spasming length gently, stroking him until he was spent. They stayed there like that for a few long moments, both panting softly before the Quincy finally pulled away, getting a length of toilet paper to clean off his hands. He handed some to Ichigo as well, who cleaned off and tucked himself back into his pants before turning around again. Suddenly shy, they looked anywhere but at one another. The heat of the moment was gone, and the clarity of what they had done was startling in it's aftermath.

Finally, after a few awkward minutes of silence, Ichigo cleared his throat, glancing up at Ishida. "So...I guess we should go drink some tea."

Uryuu started to nod, then hesitated and looked at the Soul Reaper carefully, feeling as though his heart was hammering in his chest. Taking a deep breath, he spoke with a sudden lightness that contradicted the seriousness of his words.

"I...have tea at my house."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Kitty: Second to last chapter! And it only took us two years or so... It was Rave's fault first when his computer blew up! And then my home life blew up and then MY computer blew up and RAVE'S home life blew up! Basically, there were explosions and we got writers block, but we're back now!

Haze: Yes, sometimes life comes and sucker punches you right in the guts! Or in the nads! Whichever is more painful! And besides! I had to poke and prod Kitty for a while to get the gears turning again. *ahem*

Kitty: Since neither of us have nads, I'm gonna say guts. And I'm not the only one who gets poked, don't let Rave fool you! I've poked about Inchigo every time I got poked for Breaking Point!

Haze: ... In the ovaries? The uterus..? I'm losing track here! A-hem! Yes, Inchigo is another sore spot. But I insist on Breaking Point because we started it first, it's so close to it's end, and because... frankly my Inchigo muse is on strike. ;.;

Kitty: Which is why I intend to withhold the final chapter of Breaking Point until we get the next chapter of Inchigo out! MUAHAHAHAHA!

Haze: Nuuuuuuuuu~! *sobs* We... w-we should focus on the story... we finally have some real Ichi/Ishi action here!

Kitty: And we will again...until next time, loyal readers! Pray for the revival of Rave's muse!

Haze: See you in another two years! *waves cheerfully before being shot*


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